A Paradigm Shift
by lovemedead18
Summary: [This story is a prequel to Atonement, one of my other stories. It exists in the Kuroshitsuji universe] Isabel Crane manages to escape slavery after seven years of servitude, only to be captured once again after only a few months of freedom. Her hopes and sanity are shattered as her past flashes before her eyes, but then hope for revenge is restored in the form of a demon.
1. Chapter 1

**First off, allow me to explain. These characters exist in my previous story Atonement and this is their story.**

 **Undertaker will be in this tale, but I do not want to add him to my list until he is introduced.**

 **However, the story is written that if you do not know of the character's existence from Atonement you can still read this story.**

 **I wish to post it under Kuroshitsuji as this story is influenced by the universe.**

 **[INSERT PART ABOUT ME NOT OWNING KUROSHITSUJI!]**

 **This story has been rated M due to mature elements and this story is rather dark.**

 **The picture for this story is by** **Arirsera, thank you!**

 *****Update! This story is becoming an audio book! Its a project I'm doing with one of my friends that wants to get into reading audio books. If any of you are interested, feel free to pm and I'll get the files to you.**

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How... how could this happen so soon after she had freed herself of this hell? She had only spent mere months working at the Wandering Tavern and had just managed to purchase herself a small shack. It was a hole in the wall but it was home to her and it _belonged_ to her.

She now sat chained to a bed scantly clad with no recollection of why she was there, but memories from her past provided her with a good explanation.

 _"PLEASE! LET ME GO!" the child screamed as she was forcibly dragged into a building by the collar at her throat. She had no choice but to somewhat comply as full resistance from her captor resulted in lack of oxygen due to the constriction of the collar. She sobbed weakly as the man dragging her grew frustrated and simply walked over to scoop her up over his shoulder._

 _"Such a pest, but you'll make for a good price with that pretty face of yours, so I better not be too rough on ya." The man grinned lecherously as he took the child inside and slammed the door behind him._

After seven years she had escaped that nightmare and lived in the alleys for months as she struggled to survive. Nights were spent in anxiety; thinking they would find her, they would catch her, and bring her back so those _monsters_ could touch her skin once more. Then she found a small light in all the darkness.

"Hey, you there! I can't have you eating from my trash now can I?" An elderly woman with a hunch walked down the few steps from her door using a cane to assist her. She approached the young woman currently picking from her trash with an unreadable expression.

"Oh, my apologies…" the girl bowed her head ashamed of her actions, but hunger drove her to such drastic measures. "If you could spare but some bread I would appreciate it…"

The elderly woman gave the girl a once over then tilted her head in question "how old are ya?"

"Seventeen, ma'am."

The woman nods then and turns back to the house "let's get you cleaned up. That bread isn't going to free, you'll have to work for it" and so began her employment at the Wandering Inn.

So why now, was she here, upon this bed? She pulled at the chains cursing obscenities at the damned steel that bit at her limbs. She suddenly stilled when she heard footsteps outside the door. They were slow and growing in sound as whoever was coming was close to the door of the room she was entrapped in.

 _Think! Think! THINK! What happened…_ The girl began to pound her head trying to jog her memory. _I was walking home from my shift and I had decided to take a short cut through an alley because it was raining. I… I remember hearing the sound of hoofs… and then… a carriage._

There had been a carriage at the end of the alley. She had approached it as carriages went to and fro all over town and to turn back now would be a hassle. It was odd for it to be on this side of town as the area was populated by the poor and no one could afford such a ride. As she drew close a man exited the carriage and began to walk towards her. She grits her teeth and forced herself to walk at the man regardless of her slight phobia of the beasts. _You have worked alongside them for months, not all of them are filth._

The man smiled and allowed a cloth to slip from his coat and dangle at his hand. He then proceeded to run at her affirming her horror.

"NO!" The woman turned and ran with all her might, but as her terror rose she soon forgot her surroundings. Rain had fallen and in turn had saturated the ground in a slick surface. The woman lost her footing almost instantly and went tumbling to the ground. Pain shot through her body upon impact but before she could collect herself the man had jumped her and placed the cloth at her face. The world spun as darkness consumed her.

The door before her opened then and a man decorated in royal colors entered the room. His garb suggested the man was a knight of the king and hope began to grow within her.

"Sir knight! Oh thank the gods you are here!" The woman attempted to cover herself to the best of her ability "have the men responsible for my kidnapping been detained?" When the knight did not answer her, she looked up to see why the man remained silent. Her hope shattered upon witnessing the man's expression.

The knight was in the process of removing his clothes and was smugly smiling at her "now why ever would they be detained? They should be re _warded_ since they caught such a lovely prize." Now partially nude he began to predatorily walk towards her. "Now then, kitten. Shall we play? I'd be wise if you didn't scratch me as I won't hesitate to punish you…"

 _They are all filth, each and every one of them. The only ones who are safe from such a hell as this are those of noble birth. You would never see a dignified lady entrapped here forced to do such disgusting tasks._ The king's men knew of such an establishment as this man proved and he was a _client._ "Does the king know that you rape women?"

The knight stops walking and looks at the woman amused "His majesty is aware of such institutions and even encourages us knights to pay a visit from time to time if it will help us with our tasks at hand. Now then…" he resumes his step, closing their distance. "I've paid my wage and your mine for the night."

When he drew close the woman's rage she was bottling all escaped at once. Her fist connected with the man's nose and he went stumbling backward in pain. "Don't you DARE touch me, you filth."

Blood trickled from the man's nose as he stood growling in anger. He quickly closed the distance and brought a hand to her throat and lifted her as high as the chains would allow. "KNOW YOUR PLACE, WHORE."

Anger and venom exploded within her as a fraction of her sanity shattered. She would kill this man. She didn't know how, but she would. Then after she did that, she would murder the men responsible for bringing her here and follow the chain until she eliminated all of them. Her rampage wouldn't end there though, the king would be next. She wouldn't kill him; she would simply make him suffer by taking his _crown._

Air began to escape her and the world around her became fuzzy in result. Time passed until she realized the world around her had stopped moving. The man stood there still, glaring up at her as he had but was now frozen in time. She attempted to move but it was futile. The only piece of her she could move was her eyes which she used to scan the room. That's when she noticed a man standing in the corner of the room whom hadn't been there previously. Upon witnessing him, the woman became unnerved as something was unnatural about him. The man was clad in black and wore a cloak upon his head. White strands of hair peaked from beneath the robe and stirred as the man began to walk toward the couple.

She found she could speak and addressed the cloaked man "Are you death?"

The man chuckled menacingly "if you wish it, I could. However, that is not what I intended when I sensed you." He came to a stop when he stood in front of her beside the man currently in the act of strangulation. The hood of the cloak moved suggestion the man beneath was considering the man before him. "You seek power and I can supply you with it if that is what you truly desire. It comes at a price and if you decline I shall simply take my leave. The choice is yours, child." The hood raises high enough that she witnesses a rather inhuman grin beneath.

Without hesitation she demands "what is your price?"

The man sighs with delight "Humans, such simple creatures. I shall aide you in your quest for power at the price of your eternal servitude when your task is complete. Typically my race demands a soul as price to such endeavors, but as I will have plenty of opportunities to feast upon your little _expedition_ I shall think outside of the box. I am currently under staffed, which was the actual purpose of walking these tiresome planes." He nods to the woman then "what say you, mistress?"

Again, without hesitation the woman speaks "We have a deal, demon."

Low laughter begins to leak from the man before her and grows in enthusiasm as the man begins to applaud the woman "so observant and intelligent you are. What is thy name, mistress?"

She looks down her nose at the demon before her as she introduces herself "Isabel Crane, and what shall I call you demon?"

The demon kneels then and brings his hand to his heart in a bow. "You may call me Cain, my lady Isabel." He stands then and brings that same hand to her face to show a burning emblem upon his palm. "I shall brand you with the mark of my name as we swear ourselves to this contract. Where would you like such a mark?"

She considers the symbol upon his hand and makes her decision smiling "make it my right palm as I wish to touch those I smite."

"And so it shall be written." Cain reached for her hand and grasped it unleashing volcanic heat to wreak havoc upon her flesh. She bit her lip refusing to scream from her own choice and allowed her palm to perish in the inferno it was engulfed in. Moments later the demon released her hand and then turned to her. "I shall deal with _this_ one first."

"Do NOT make it quick for him." Isabel commanded her eyes moist with the residue of pain.

There was a smile to his words when he replied "of course, my lady."

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 **To be continued.**

 **Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter. I lost about 800 words in the process of writing this due to a demon of a laptop so I had to rewrite a lot of this. WHEEEEEE!**

 **I am enjoying writing this, hope you enjoy.**

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The demon dipped under the man's arms currently strangling Isabel and positioned himself right in front of the man's face. He then brought his hand up to push his hood back slightly so the knight could fully witness what lay beneath. When he was content on where the cowl hung he then snapped his fingers and time reset itself almost instantly.

"Boo." Cain blew into the man's face and chuckled menacingly.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" The knight back pedaled away from the demon before him screaming in terror. In his haste he lost his footing and fell to the ground in a pathetic blubbering heap. The demon's laughter rose in malice as he began walking towards the man predatorily. With each step the demon took, the light began to dissipate and dark tentacle like shadows began to slitter from the new found darkness in the direction of the cowering man.

"I believe I shall deprive you of your sense of touch as your greedy palms have molested what does not belong to you." Cain's figure began to blur in the mess of shadows writhing around the demon. The knight began to sob and scream as the shadows encroached him.

"No... PLEASE! I'm not the one that locked her up here!"

The demon grew to an unnatural height and rose to the ceiling. It then curled it's spine to tower over the man with an eerie smile upon its face. "I am aware, and they shall join you shortly." Shadows lashed out and blood sprayed the room crimson as the man's hands were severed from his wrists. The man screams for several seconds and then faints upon the floor, blood pouring at the demon's feet. The shade consolidated back into the somewhat human form and reached up to pull the cowl over his face once more before turning to face Isabel.

The woman's body trembled and her eyes had not shut once as the demon before her did her biding. When Cain turned to face her she finally allowed herself to blink and tears began to trail down her cheeks in result.

The demon stood before the woman, considering her. "My apologies, I did not think I would startle-"

Isabel suddenly started laughing and brought out her hands in an attempt to reach the cowl at the demon's face, but the chains rattled in their resistance. "Excellent! Absolutely splendid! Well done, Cain. I am curious what lies beneath this hood."

The demon stood before her absolutely shocked, had he miss read her? He was certain he had terrified the lass and had been trying to recall how one _comforts_ a human. Cain considered his mistress once more "what do you wish lies beneath?"

Cain folded his arms as he awaited her answer and was reminded of the intensity of her aura. The demon had been on an errand purely hunger related when he had sensed this woman's malefic and chaotic aroma which beckoned him. At the time he had not known it was a woman, nor had he suspected it to even be human as he began to draw near. Due to his newly acquired title of demonic nobility he was interested if the beckon-like aura were of demon blood so he may then attempt to employee them. Cain had not considered when he eradicated the previous lord that he should have spared the few retainers the demon had on location. Currently he only had one whom he would consider to be _staffed._ Therefore when his ever hopeful beckon revealed to be human, he had been disappointed. As Cain was about to turn away that is when he heard her thoughts. They were summoning-like in quality and confident in her purpose. The intensity of her words was extraordinary of human nature as they defied the creature's instincts. She planned to overthrow the king and those that stood before her she would lay waste to. Power is what she craved and her confidence made the demon approach her once more.

"Well, I believe the epitome of terror lurks beneath, but I trust you will present a more suitable image as I don't have time to waste writhing around in insanity. And pray tell" Isabel jingled the shackles at her wrists in his direction "how long do you intend to leave me in these chains?"

Without responding, Cain reached and brushed a fingertip to each of the steel restraints at Isabel's wrists, then followed suit to that of her ankles. The steel broke upon touch and clattered to the floor uselessly. After doing so he brought his hands back to his hood and pulled it back to reveal a very human looking man beneath it. His hair was long and white and it choppily reached past his shoulders restlessly. All of his features suggested the man before her was human, but when she made eye contact with him the illusion broke. His eyes made her skin crawl as her instincts pleaded for her to flee and distance herself from this man, this _demon_ yet she couldn't look away from the crimson orbs watching her.

Cain smiled then and reached a hand out to her with his palm up. The symbol of their contract began to glow upon the palm in question "does this image suit your needs?" Feeling challenged, the woman grasped his hand with her own blood stained limb with matching emblem.

"I was expecting intimidating, not seductive, but I suppose each serve the same purpose ultimately." She dismounted the bed and stretches her body in the most distracting fashion. Isabel was tall for a woman and her lean body suggested she had suffered from malnutrition throughout her life. She had raven black hair that fell messily around her, clashing against her pale skin. As she stretched the rags she wore were pulled tightly against her curves which were already heavily exposed. The demon watched in interest as she did so, he was male after all. In his exploration, he was shocked to find his new found mistress was covered in scars. He brought his eyes back to hers and found she was glaring at him with those most unique lavender eyes she had.

"Perhaps you can remain focused at our task at hand, Cain." Turning to face the bed she grabbed the top sheet and fashioned herself a toga out of the fabric.

"My apologies, what is your order?" Cain bowed with a slight smile.

"While I take care of this _one,"_ Isabel walked over to the knight still unconscious and used her foot to roll the man onto his back. "You will go and find those responsible for this institution. Once you dealt with the garbage you'll next free those that are capable of returning to their previous lives; however, those that cannot… _put them to rest."_ Her expression turned cold as she stared down at the man beneath her foot. "I will enjoy this. Go, Cain."

Cain smiled, eyes glowing "I will be just a moment." With that, Cain vanished.

Isabel returned her attention back to the man beneath her foot who now groaned into consciousness. She began to search the room for an object to conduct her torture with and that's when she noticed a leather crop near the entrance. It was set on the small table and she assumed that the knight had brought it in with him. When she grasped the leather handle her eyes twinkled nefariously as she returned to her position above the man.

"Wake up my sweet knight. Allow me to _pleasure_ you for the evening…"

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The demon had finished his task and when he returned, he found his mistress whipping the knight into ribbons. She had been laughing as blood splashed her skin as she released her anger upon him. The knight had perished long before Cain had arrived to the scene and he allowed her a few more moments to collect herself. As the time passed, she didn't seem to be calming down in the slightest and that troubled Cain. Within a second the demon had lifted his mistress away from her prey and curled her into him. He then captured both her wrists in a firm grip and looked her in the eye "Enough, my lady. You are losing yourself."

"RELEASE ME! I'M NOT FINISHED HERE!" She screamed at him, her eyes lost as she desperately tried to return to the carnage that was the knight.

"Isabel." The demon said her name so intensely she was forced to redirect her gaze back to him. "You are but a step from madness. Take one more step and I will kill you here and now." His eyes began to glow then as he studied her, daring her to betray him.

The two locked in that gaze for what felt like an eternity and then Isabel weakened in his arms. Her head slumped into his chest and she whispered "My thanks, demon. Let us take our leave."

Cain nodded a victorious smile upon his face and then walked to the wall of the room that faced the street. "We shall take a different route as there is _blockage_ in the other" those shadow like tentacles appeared once more and exploded the wall before them. Cain tucked her close to him as he protected her from debris and leaped out the hole. The two landed upon the stone of a neighboring alley and the demon turned back to the building. He rose a hand in the direction of the institution and murmured a command "Burn."

Flames engulfed the brothel almost instantly like a spark to an oily trash heap. Isabel's eyes sparkled in the firelight as she watched the building fall, her flesh saturated from the blood of her victim. Cain held her bridal style as the two remained a safe distance away.

"Let's go, Cain" Isabel stated and the demon looked down upon his lady. "I'm filthy and wish to bathe."

"Where shall we go?" He asked, turning his back to the fire and walking down the alley.

"There… should be an Inn around here" she murmured weakly against his chest, exhaustion filling her.

"I see. Have you money?" Cain questioned as he rounded the corner looking for a tavern.

"No… but I'm sure you'll figure it out" she then promptly fell asleep.

"Splendid."

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 **To be continued.**

 **Thank you all for reading and I will see you next chapter. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter was most amusing.**

 **Enjoy**

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Cain approached the nearest tavern he could locate and walked to the door, but suddenly stopped when the dull light from within highlighted his mistress's skin. He recalled she was bathed in blood and her appearance would most likely cause a scene. There was always the option to kill the inn keeper, but the demon was full at the moment. There had been _many_ to exterminate earlier, so killing the keeper would be troublesome. He backed away from the door and glared down at Isabel. _No money, so I shall have to obtain it, but first…_ Cain slipped into a nearby alley and kneeled down to cradle the woman in his lap. By doing so he was able to maneuver the blanket she had messily wrapped about herself. He tasked himself with cocooning his mistress so that only her face peeked from beneath. Cain stifled a laugh at how ridiculous this made the woman look and decided she would stay like that for the remainder of the evening. _This should teach her to not conveniently fall asleep in the future._

He stood then, content with his work and pondered how he would acquire money. He considered back tracking and searching the pockets of the men who would be ash by now, but he was interrupted from his thoughts as a man was suddenly thrown from a neighboring door to the inn.

"Aw' ta hell wif ya'!" The man drunkenly stood back up and swayed back and forth towards the tavern Cain had almost entered. "get me ah' ch'age of clothes an' 'm off to tee next one…" The drunkard stopped before entering to wearily fish around his clothing looking for something amongst his pockets.

"Pardon me, sir. Might you be searching for _this?"_ Cain stood behind the man and leaned over the drunkard's shoulder with a silver key in his outstretched hand. His eyes glowed in the swirling darkness that was now surrounding the two. The man took one look at the demon's face and his lip began to quiver in terror.

"…yes" the man managed to squeak, but then froze petrified as the human skin upon the demon's face melted into shadows, leaving only the fierce red orbs to continue their unending stare.

" _I too seek this key. Give it to me and I shall not harm thee."_ Unnatural whispers spoke from origins unknown and the demon had no mouth in which to speak. It was then that the man's eyes rolled back into his skull and he promptly fell over as his sanity could take no more. The shadows vanished instantly as Cain returned to his human image and jumped from the man in disgust. "It wet itself, repulsive." The demon pocketed the key and groaned as he realized he would have to hide the man if he was to take homage at this particular inn. "Such a nuisance…" he reached down grabbing the man by the back of his collar and began to drag him into the alleyway. Once there he picked the man up and hastily threw him in the garbage, but as the can wasn't large enough for the drunkard the result was not ideal. The man looked as if he had dived into the garbage, but the fat of his sides resisted the small opening causing the man to only make it half way. In result, his legs now stood erect from the trash heap looking like the most unnatural trash effigy. Cain's eyes flashed in irritation and fire began to glow upon his free hand as his patience was reaching its limit. The faint tinkle of women's laughter stopped the demon from setting fire to the rubbish.

"Those men simply love to gamble don't they?" one richly female voice purred to her companion.

"Aye, but can't complain when they tip us so well can we?" another female voice replied mid laughter. He watched as the two women walked past the alley without a care in the world. An idea dawned.

Cain's eyes returned to his victim who was on the verge of becoming conscious as the legs began to twitch in discomfort. Grinning, the demon began to loot then man's pockets and successfully acquired a handful of coins. "I am content with your misery, human. Farewell." A moan of pain was the reply the demon received.

Cain rounded the corner and entered the inn with his mistress cradled in his arms. Upon the door opening the man standing behind the desk looked up and nodded in greeting.

"A room for the both of you?" the inn keeper questioned, pulling out a tome to promptly begin flipping through his registry.

"I have one already I believe. I won this key in a wager this evening" Cain lifted the key to show the man who replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Idiot… let me show you to the room then. Come with me" the man left his desk to proceed up the stairs and Cain followed suit.

Moments later, Cain had shut the door of the room once inside and leaned against it with a sigh. _Next time, I shall simply kill the inn keeper._ He strode across the room and set the woman upon the cot to rest. It was incredible she was still so deep in slumber, but the demon could understand why. He knew not of this woman's past but believed no human had endured as much pain as the woman lying before him. Call it a hunch if you will, but the demon had lived for eons and in respect he had observed the creatures in their entirety. Thus humans had ceased to surprise or even enthrall the demon which is why he had retired from Faustian Contracts, so why now did he wear his ancient symbol?

Isabel began to struggle from beneath her cocoon and murmured in sleepy frustration. Cain watched in interest as she squirmed in her mission of freedom from the cloth. He smirked knowing fully well that she would not be able to escape, as _he_ had woven her within. His amusement shattered when the woman before him began to thrash violently all of a sudden.

"LET ME GO!" Her eyes shot open but were glazed over as she was recalling a nightmarish memory. Chains, cells, whips, and blood… Hands, so many hands… The door of a cage opened and screamed in metallic malice as blood began to pool from within…

"Isabel, it is time to wake up." Cain leaned over her and held her chin firmly. The woman rapidly blinked her eyes as she escaped her nightmare and was forever grateful to be awake, until she noticed her circumstances. The demon had shredded the cloth that covered her and she now lay nude beneath him. He held her chin and was looming over her with an unreadable expression. Her brows knitted together as anger surfaced at full force.

"Cain, GET. OFF." Venom dripped from her growl as she glared up at the demon.

"Ah, I see you have finally woken up." Cain straightened and sat beside the splayed out woman. "I am most curious what you were dreaming about."

"I order you to look away and allow me some blasted privacy." Isabel brushed off the question and dug her nails into the blanket beneath her. She pulls the cloth over her in an attempt to cover some of her flesh, but as the demon sat upon the sheet the task was futile. "Could you move?"

Out of obligation Cain turns his head away from his lady to focus on nothing in particular but remained seated beside her. He could compromise, see?

"I find it hard to believe that you would be shy, mistress." The demon said, crossing a leg in an attempt at comfort.

"I am not shy. I am simply tired of you loathsome predators gazing upon what is not yours. As of today I will not reveal my body to any of those unworthy." She rose from the bed and walked over to the wash closet. "Now then, be a dear and go downstairs to fetch me some water as I wish to cleanse myself of this dreadful past."

Cain stood then and vanished into the hallway on his mission. Isabel watched the demon go and once he was gone she slipped into the wash room. It was small, but definitely better than anything she had at home. She leaned against the ancient tub and soon found herself lost in thought. This was not the first time she had dreamt of those darker times and it would not be her last. She shook her head as she fought off the terror which lurked beneath her eye lids. How long would these visions continue? _They will continue until I become stronger and now I shall with Cain…_ the demon Cain. She never thought anything after the life she had suffered would terrify her, but then _he existed._

"Mistress, your water" Cain shouldered the door open as he carried two large buckets. Once inside the cramped room he set them upon the ground in front of the tub and when he straightened his eye were shut. "If you would like, I could assist you-"

"Your eyes are closed…" Isabel thought aloud and the demon sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, because you ordered me to allow you privacy unless you are permitting me to look now…"

"No, no. I was just surprised" the woman grinned as she considered his offer. "How shall you assist me if you cannot see?"

It was Cain's turn to smile and he did so wickedly. Isabel was grateful the demon's eyes were shut for a completely different reason now. "Permit me to do so and I shall show you, _my lady."_

Several minutes later Cain sighed for the tenth time in annoyance. "When I said I would assist you I did not mean be your damned water brat."

"Hush, you're a wonderful waterfall if you keep quiet." Isabel purred from within the tub as she scrubbed every surface of herself.

"You looked lovely in red earlier, _Mistress._ Perhaps I could paint you with your own." Cain threatened as he poured the thirteenth bucket upon her spoiled head.

"Ib, call me Ib." She suddenly said, causing the demon to blink from the tangent.

"Come again?" Cain asked, mildly annoyed his threat had held no effect.

"You have called me many titles and all seem unworthy as of the present. I wish for you to call me Ib. Once I have achieved the status of a _Lady_ or _Mistress,_ you may call me them at that time. For now, just Ib will suffice." Isabel stood then and turned to face the demon who still held his eye lids shut.

"May I suggest a compromise then as you are a lady regardless of status and thus I shall call you Lady Ib." He offered a hand blindly, but it was damned near perfect placement.

Isabel smiled and took the demon's hand who helped her exit the tub and handed her a fresh linen in which she took to begin drying herself. "I find that most agreeable, Cain."

"Excellent, then may I ask Lady Ib, what are orders?" Cain leaned against the wall of the wash room and even with his eyes closed the woman felt the demon watching her.

"First clothing, as I have none. Then we shall see about _acquiring_ a place of operations."

Cain nodded and slipped past her into the room. He soon returned with a small bag that jingled when he set it upon the small vanity before her. "I assumed a wardrobe would be our first course of action so during one of the trips to fetch water I journeyed back to the brothel. Mostly ash remains, but I was able to find some valuables." The demon then reached for his hood and brought it over his head. "I leave the chore of the clothing to you and in the meantime I shall arrange a most immaculate castle." With that he turned and headed for the door.

"Wait! I have nothing to wear." Isabel panicked as she watched him walk away looking as he had when she had met him.

 _I shall simply take my leave._

Cain stopped then, cowl over his eyes, but Isabel noticed a grin beneath the ragged cloth "I shall return, Isabel." The demon then gestured to the small bag which had gone unnoticed this entire time. "There is some clothing in there from the previous owner and…" His smile turned playful "Might I suggest wearing a belt."

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 **To be continued.**

 **Woo! Chapter three! Loving this!**

 **Thank you all for reading, and I shall see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the next chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Silence doesn't suit you my lady. Did you lose your tongue out on your errands?" Cain looked down at his mistress seated at his side. She now wore an elegant dress which was fashioned with a variety of darker shades of violet and appeared to be soft to the touch. This theory proved to be true when he had retrieved his lady from town and escorted her into the carriage. By doing so, this allowed him to brush his fingertips against the material at her back, making him smile in approval at the gown. Isabel had noticed his ploy and reacted as if he had stroked an animal incorrectly.

"If you have time to molest me, make yourself useful and grab the baggage."

The two were on their way to what Cain had promised to be their new _home._ Isabel glared out the window as she was thoroughly irritated with the demon. When she had finished in the wash room she had opened the bag that Cain had instructed held clothes within for her. She had poured the bag's contents out upon the small cot and felt her anger rise. Dirty clothes tumbled out upon the bed and a few other items she wished she had not witnessed. She took one of the less smelly tunics and held it before her. It was enormous and the fabric was strained on the sides suggesting its previous owner was gluttonous. She growled in frustration and shoved all the items off the bed in disgust; after which, she pulled the top cream colored sheet and examined it closely. _I can work with this, but I will require a needle and thread._ She nods and wraps the sheet around herself and promptly walks downstairs.

Upon stepping off of the stairs to the bottom floor she is greeted with the image of the innkeeper sitting behind a small desk. Almost as if he sensed her, the man looks up and promptly grins upon seeing the woman clothed in nothing but a sheet. Isabel strikes a sultry pose and returns the grin.

"I require some items, could you be a dear and run into town for me. As you can see, I am not suited for _outdoor_ activities." She walked over to him in a most entrancing matter, swinging a bag that jingled as it stirred.

"I had to resort to such embarrassing methods in order to complete my errands because you carelessly left me with a swine's garb. Do you expect me to forget such negligence?" She turned her blazing eyes upon the demon "explain your actions."

Cain smirked down at her, finding her anger amusing "my apologies, but I detest dealing with anything related to human attire. I believe you will excuse my actions when you witness what I have prepared for you in my absence."

The glare remained upon the woman's face "you can expect punishment if not." She returns to focusing on the passing trees outside of the small carriage's window.

Cain chuckles smoothly watching her with glowing eyes, "I look forward to what punishment you shall inflict upon me, my lady. Tis a shame that it will have to wait until later as we have arrived…"

Isabel watched as the driver dismounted the carriage to approach the large iron gate before them. With supreme effort the man dug his soles into the ground and shoved the resistant metal in order to create enough space for the carriage to slide in. The man then returned and stirred the carriage back into motion.

"How did you find a place so far from town?" Isabel murmured as she took in the scenery.

They were deep within the woods and at least an hour from town. She found herself feeling more and more relaxed as they began to distance themselves from such a corrupt society. However, there weren't any developments within the forest, so she was shocked when she noticed the large stone gate. _There shouldn't be any buildings… and even if the demon had intended to have a house built here it would take months…_

"I didn't, I simply created it. Due to land restrictions it turned out much smaller then I had imagined but I believe you will find it to your liking none the less. Come, I shall give you the grand tour." Cain held out a hand for her, appearing most smug.

"Come again..." her words fell from her mouth as she took his hand and witnessed his creation.

A large stone castle stood before her and had a look about it that the landmark had been there for ages. The grey of the stone was aged as if it had seen many seasons and vines that scattered the perimeter began to stretch up the long lengths of the walls.

"Are you impressed, my lady?" Cain gripped her shoulders and leaned over her to take in her expression of astonishment. "Or perhaps I have rendered you speechless."

Suddenly the driver spoke, interrupting the two's current intimacy "when you gave me the directions to this place I thought you were mad, Sir. I don't recall there being a castle out in the forest…"

Cain spun and glared at the man as his human image melted in anger, "there wasn't." It was then that the man seated upon the carriage exploded in a mess of carnage. "However, I thank you for your services, but I am in need of your carriage as my lady currently has none." The horses whinnied in terror as the black writhing form of Cain approached them "Shhh… I have use of you creatures so your lives shall be spared, my lovelies." The human glamour began to reinsert itself around Cain as he closed the distance to the steeds. He exchanged glances with each of them and they quickly calmed themselves. Cain then spoke loudly enough so he could address the still awe struck woman.

"Welcome to your new home, Lady Isabel Crane."

* * *

The castle's interior betrayed its decrepit appearance as the inside was fashioned heavily with elegance. The building appeared to be freshly built and was decorated with a variety of reds and blacks. The space within the castle made the woman dizzy as she could not fathom such enormous space being confined within these walls. She found herself backing up as she attempted to take all of it all in and wound up bumping into Cain whom was currently carrying all of her luggage.

"Careful now, Ib. With a face like that you look much like a peasant. Come; allow me to show you to your quarters." He stepped past her as she shook her head and spit out a curse to his back which he ignored graciously.

Doors upon doors lined the hallway the two now walked down and Isabel found herself growing frustrated. "How the devil will I find anything within this maze?"

Cain glanced over his shoulder amused "perhaps by experimentation and memory?"

"I would throw my shoe at you, but you're not even worth the effort. " Isabel hissed threateningly which in turn made Cain bark in surprised laughter.

"I could kill you with a blink of my eye child, and yet, I am carrying your baggage. My lady is such a cruel Mistress…" He grinned back at the woman as he witnessed her struggle in discomfort from his words.

"…ank you" came a mere whisper.

"Speak up, child. No one will hear you if you blend with the shadows-"

"I SAID THANK YOU, YOU INTOLERABLE PEST!" Isabel yelled and averted her eyes due to her embarrassment. Cain began to laugh in a most seducing fashion in response to her outburst.

"There's a good kitten." He stopped suddenly as they reached the stairs landing to the third floor. There was only one door in the small space and it was of higher quality then all the previous doors she had seen. It bore a shade of dark chestnut and was detailed with images of the night. The moon was carved deeply into the center of the door and small chips surrounding it served as stars. Beneath the beautiful sky was faintly carved trees which detailed the woodland. The door gently swung open upon its own devices, which was most likely due to Cain and his shenanigans, and the demon gestured for her to enter.

"This shall serve as your room, please let me know if it is not to your liking. It is the only room that currently has furniture as I was pressured for time."

Isabel walked into the room and felt tears burn at her eyes. The room was large, larger than any room she had ever seen, and the walls were lined with the deepest most beautiful purples she didn't believe existed. A bed was positioned against the back wall and ran parallel to the giant window slightly hidden beneath a gentle lavender lace curtain. That same lace adorned the bed corners due to the large canapé that overhung the cot. There were many dressers and armoires that lined the wall across the bed and adjacent to those was an elegant vanity.

"Its… perfect" Isabel stated, her voice genuinely grateful. She turned to the demon and smiled "an excellent job Cain." She clapped then, amusing the demon further "help me unpack."

The two argued as Cain stated he could do so within seconds, but she demanded they do it by hand as to not spoil the moment. The demon had simply rolled his eyes and complied as he believed he would never fully understand the silly creatures.

Cain was currently hanging his lady's gowns when he came across one that stood out due to its pure unique design. It was not of the time and suggested an elegant flair, but it was entirely too sultry to be sophisticated. Curiosity overcame him as he stood and took the gown to Isabel who was currently empting her own boxes "this dress, where did you get it? I have never seen one such as this…"

Isabel glanced up and nodded at it only becoming mildly distracted from her task "I'm not surprised because I made it; it is one of a kind." She cursed as she attempted to stuff one more piece of linen within the drawer and sighed with victory as she succeeded. She then sat back and smirked at the demon cockily "you didn't truly believe I would wear that swine's clothing did you?"

Cain looked back down at the quality in his hands, but he felt simply holding it did it no justice. "Might you do me the honor by presenting me with your work?"

Isabel cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion "you want me to put it on?"

"To put it simply, yes" Cain nodded and gestured the dress to her. "I cannot imagine what such a dress would look like upon a woman, it intrigues me."

Isabel nibbled on her lip as she looked at the dress in consideration. When she made her decision she quickly stood and took the gown from him. "I shall show you this in gratitude for my new home. You have proved to be most capable and I look forward to taking my sire's kingdom from him with you by my side." She grinned and the two shared a moment of mutual agreement. Isabel then brought a finger to his face and pointed it to the door with a smile. "Now out. As if I'd let you watch me change, demon."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **I thoroughly enjoy Isabel and Cain, I hope you do too LOL.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks you all for returning for another chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Cain had always believed that woman were beautiful creatures. He had witnessed many throughout his age and had danced with some of the loveliest out of selfish pleasure. Recalling all the women he had seen, there were only few he would consider flawless or stunning. However, when his lady reentered the room adorned in her creation, Cain felt all the previous women he had considered ideal in the past to dull in comparison.

"It isn't bad for a rush job, but with finer fabric and thread I could make a much higher quality gown." She glided towards him and did a pirouette to show the dress in completion. "This is how I plan to gain power, demon. One needs a thriving business in order to acquire status and fame. Simply killing his highness would prove to be most unsatisfying; therefore, I wish to take his crown from him and throw our kingdom into anarchy with the influence I have obtained. With you at my side, establishing a prosperous company should be fairly easy."

Cain was utterly speechless. Not only was this woman absolutely fetching, she held an air around her that could make people bow and grovel before her which was uncanny considering she was human. Such influence would provide useful when she became one of his servants upon conclusion of this contract. Possessiveness sparked within the demon and he stood to walk towards the source.

Once before her, he reached out and took her hand in his. He bowed over it, kneeling in the process, and placed a gentle kiss upon the top of her hand. "You look ravishing, My Lady Ib. It shall be my honor to commit treason along your side. I humbly await your orders."

Isabel practically purred with pleasure "excellent. Let us get to work."

* * *

A few months had passed as the two worked day and night in order to start the business of Crane Fashion. Many proposals were made, samples were provided, and after their strenuous effort it was finally paying off. Crane Fashion had hit the small shops scattered within the town and word of the immaculate clothing spread like wildfire. It became what all noble women purchased, and what the lower class desired. Sales were easily made and once they had reached a steady enough income, they had built several buildings. Crane Fashion was one of the first institutions where goods were sold inside anything other than a hut.

Cain had just finished counting their earnings for the past week and smiled as he knew his Mistress would be pleased. He wrote the sum upon a small piece of parchment and turned to leave the room. It was several minutes past the normal time he would rouse his Mistress, but she could use extra sleep. Once he closed the door to the room they designated for their earnings, he turned and waved his hand at the door. The sound of several locks being fitted into place echoed in the small hallway he stood in and with a satisfied clap, Cain turned and started up the stairs. He was on his way to Isabel's room when he crossed paths with a couple of the maids. They blushed and moved aside to bow to him.

"Good morning Cain" they both said in unison, sounding slightly nervous in their flirty undertones.

"Good morning ladies. I will be awaking our Mistress shortly so please get to the kitchen and prepare something to her liking. After a bath we will be heading down, so you have time to create something most delectable." Cain smiled to them and continued forward to climb the flight of stairs that led to his lady. The sounds of the woman whispering their excitement upon talking with him made the demon chuckle. Such fools, humans. Present them with an image of temptation and all their reasoning and morals flew out the window. Now only if he could manage the same with his current _employer._

He arrived at the top of the stairs and hesitated when he heard the sound of his Mistress already stirring within. He knew he had been late, but certainly not late enough to warrant his Mistress to rise without him. Most days the demon would have to practically drag the woman from hiding beneath the sheets, so work must have roused her.

He approached the door and placed his ear to the surface in mild curiosity wondering what his lady was working on.

"Your late, Cain" the scolding tone of Isabel's voice addressed him through the wood.

 _Impressive self-awareness,_ Cain pushed the door open and found his lady seated behind her desk. Her hair was bound in a messy bun behind her head and she was currently leaning over a large parchment as she sketched. Ink coated her palms as she worked on what he believed to be another design. His smile diminished when he noticed the lines beneath her eyes suggesting sleep loss and how pale her skin was.

"Mistress, I wish you would remain in bed until a more practical time to awaken." Cain walked over and stood before her desk waiting for an explanation.

Isabel finished a minor detail upon the art and then leaned back. The woman winced, suggesting she had been sitting there for hours. Painfully she straightened and glared at the demon "unless you can cure me of my insomnia, I suggest you shut it."

Isabel suffered from random insomnia spells. Lately, she had been having them when she became engrossed with creating a new line for her business. However, shortly after the two had created the house Isabel would stay awake for days. When the demon confronted her about this issue, she had simply said that she feared slumber. Nightmares plagued the woman, and she refused to sleep due to the fact she couldn't control her mind when she allowed it rest. Several days would then pass, and then Cain would find her sleeping somewhere other than her bed during the day, always in sunlight. It was strange, like a cat sunbathing while taking a nap.

Cain smiled impishly and replied in a suggestive seducing tone "I could cure you if you would allow me."

"You're late and now you're speaking such perverted nonsense? I'm much too tired to tolerate this…" Isabel rose from her chair and stretched her spine gingerly.

"My apologies, I was counting our earnings and have provided a total for you." He handed her the small piece of parchment and once taken the woman quickly looked it over. Cain felt his smile return after witnessing her contagious enthusiasm.

"Splendid! This is wonderful news!" Isabel tossed the paper on her desk and directed her focus back to the demon. "Draw me a bath and we shall go over today's schedule. Your tardiness is excused, but today is yet another day your eyes shall remain closed." She smiled smugly and made gestures for him to hurry about his chores.

Cain bowed with a repressed sigh, "Of course, Mistress."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me there was party tonight?!" Isabel yelped glaring back at the demon who was currently washing her back. His eyes were closed, but it hardly hindered the man in the slightest.

"I did, you even picked your gown for the evening last week." Cain's expression remained neutral; annoying the woman "I believe you even wrote down the time and date somewhere amongst your notes, but perhaps it became lost upon your cluttered desk." His fingers slid down her side and she glared when a ghost of a smirk touched the demon's mouth.

"Cain." Isabel gritted her teeth, her anger rising.

A dark chuckle, "Understood." He then brought his hands back and placed them up near his ears, feigning innocence "my apologies, My Lady Ib."

Isabel glared at him, not appreciating his mockery. Half the time she believed him to be more of an incubus then a demon as his image was pure temptation. He wore a butler's attire as per usual, but his sleeves were rolled up and tied back in order to wash his lady properly. The demon had insisted upon keeping his long white hair and it was currently tied back loosely behind his nape. Some days she would fantasize about sneaking into his bedchamber and cutting the hair off just to annoy him mutually, as he did day after day. However, she enjoyed the long mane on the demon, so she never had the heart to actually go through with her schemes.

She rose then and water splashed around her "cloth, if you will." The demon nodded and handed her the thick linen draped over his leg. Again he did so perfectly as if he could see and the woman started to doubt her routine. She took the cloth and wrapped it around herself as she took Cain's hand to carefully exit the bath.

"There is another matter I wish to speak to you about as I have conducted the research you have asked of me regarding the resent abductions of women."

It was not uncommon that women would go missing, but the amount as of late was suspicious. Isabel believed another one of _those_ institiutions was being established and she would not allow it. She had sent Cain to monitor the streets and investigate anything promising for the last couple weeks.

"I believe a suspect will be attending tonight's festivities." Cain continued as he followed her into the room, eyes still shut.

"Oh? Tell me about this Swine." Isabel disappeared behind her recently purchased folding screen. "You may open them now Cain, please retrieve a gown for me."

As the woman busied herself with dressing, Cain walked over to her wardrobe and considered the outfits inside. "Nathaniel Botly, a well-known trader. There are rumors that his income isn't solely made through trading spices, but mostly _goods._ " The demon reached and pulled out a dull red gown for his Mistress to wear knowing all too well she would be changing later that evening for the event. He then walked over to the screen and brought the dress to her which she quickly snatched in her new found anger.

"I see, well I shall look over his report once I meet you down stairs. That should provide you with enough time to create one, yes?" Isabel commanded, the demon feeling her intensity through the concealment.

Cain bows deeply "it shall be done."

* * *

"I will need you to distance yourself from me so I am able to deceive such a keen animal." Isabel stated as Cain helped his Mistress exit the carriage. They had arrived and the demon had parked near the stables as instructed by one of the party's staff. The two now argued unnoticed by those quickly rushing towards the event in blind excitement.

Cain wore an expression of annoyance "deceive? What do you believe you will be doing tonight Ib?"

"I don't wish to follow this man for several days and get nowhere. I plan to investigate and have a conclusion by the end of the night." She broke their contact at their hands and began walking towards the building.

Cain followed her closely as if he were her shadow, anger evident in her voice "do you believe I will stand idly by if he were to take you? Surely you are not that mad, Mistress."

Isabel turned on her heel, her own annoyance showing "yes, that is exactly what I believe. Trust me, demon. I am not the fragile woman you once knew me to be. I can handle myself long enough to get evidence on this rat bastard and then I will call for you to _destroy_ him. Now be patient and enjoy your evening, _stranger."_ She then quickened her step and blended into the crowd being escorted in.

Cain's eyes flashed as he watched her enter the party and his anger grew as he felt himself losing control over the woman. She was so determined and stubborn which caused the demon annoyance beyond belief. The two alphas constantly batted heads when it came to decisions as both enjoyed control, but Cain would have to constantly back down due to their contract.

 _Soon, she will not be in control and I shall do what I wish with her._ With that thought in mind the demon tidied his appearance and manipulated his glamour to change his attire to a more suitable garb. Once satisfied with his presentation, he followed suit and entered the party as Cain Warde, a business man.

* * *

Nathaniel was easy to spot, as he was quite the womanizer. Isabel chatted with groups and spoke of business as she secretly watched the man survey the crowd. He made an effort to be constantly in the presence of a female the entire evening, which annoyed Isabel thoroughly. She had tried multiple times to address the man, but every time she made her way over to him she found herself accosted away by another group asking her about Crane Fashion. It was maddening, as she felt time slipping by and yet she had not made her move. She had seen the man's eyes upon her several times, so she was aware he was trying to approach her as well. The opportunity finally presented itself when the music began to play and people quickly paired up to dance.

"Hello, Miss Crane I presume?" A man's deep voice asked behind her and she turned knowing fully well it was the Swine.

"Mister Botly, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Isabel curtsied, looking polite "how are you doing this evening?"

"I believe I would be better if you would honor me with your presence for a dance, Mi'lady." She didn't believe pigs bowed, but this one did.

Isabel suppressed her repulsion and took the man's extended hand. "Let us dance then, shall we?"

Upon contact, the man pulled her close to him and smiled down at her "we shall." He began to lead them through a dance, mingling with the other couples spinning and twirling. Nathaniel dipped her and she flexibly obliged the movement revealing how nimble her body truly was, even in corset. When she was pulled back she found herself in an uncomfortable closeness with the pig's face and fought desperately to not shove the male away.

"May I cut in, Sir?" a familiar voice asked and Isabel felt relieved. Cain stood behind her, looking pleasantly calm "I have noticed you are very busy tonight, Miss Crane, but one would understand as you are quite the successful business woman and may I say that you are equally as charming. I wish to speak with you, and if Mister Botley allows it we could do so whilst dancing." Cain's voice surprised the woman as it sounded eerily... human. It was the best way she could describe it. If she had not known this man to be a demon she would have assumed he was just like every other male. It was quite creepy and she took note that demons blended very well into society.

"I would prefer not, but as Miss Crane is quite popular I shall let her go." Nathaniel smiled, but he leaned down to whisper into her ear first before letting her go "there is another party tonight I would love for you to attend with me, but since the invitation is limited I must know as soon as possible if you would like to come. Rumors say top business leaders will be attending, so I believe it will be most worthwhile for you."

Isabel smirked and turned her lips to the man's ear and purred in reply "I would be honored." She was then whisked away from the swine as Cain practically pulled her from the man. He quickly led her onto the dance floor and pulled her tightly to him to growl into her ear once they were surrounded by dancers.

"No, you are not going. I can smell the filth on him."

"Yes, I am. If it is a set up, then we kill him. If not, and he is truthful, then I have an excellent business day. It's a win win, you imbecile." She spoke low enough so only the demon could hear.

"Then I shall go with you" Cain spun the two, mimicking the dancers around him.

"Of course, but you will have to be creative as you will not be in the carriage with me. If I remember correctly, you are quite the runner." She smiled and attempted to put some distance between them, but it was futile as the demon's arms held her in a steal restraint.

"Annoying" the demon hissed

"Hush" Isabel scolded.

"Yes, My lady."

* * *

After about an hour, Isabel stood before a small manor with Nathaniel's arm around her

"Let us go in and I shall introduce you." The two without further hesitation entered the building. Once inside, Isabel took in her surroundings and it looked to be a smaller party. She felt herself grow nervous as something about the party didn't seem right to her.

Where were all the women?

She narrowed her eyes as she examined each and every person present and none of the men looked familiar to her. She narrowed her eyes as her uneasiness grew as she saw the glances in her direction from the other men.

"Are you quite alright, Miss Crane?" Nathaniel asked, and then he looked surprised. "Oh, you have something on your face. Please use this; there is something right above your nose." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a handkerchief in which he handed to her.

"Oh... my thanks." Isabel took the cloth and brought it to her face, but paused when she smelled a most familiar chemical. Before she could cry out, Nathaniel moved and pushed the cloth into her nose and mouth with great force, plastering the cloth against her face. She glared and struggled against the strength of the man and regretted leaving Cain to his own devices as she felt the world fall beneath her in darkness.

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Oh Isabel, you cocky woman.**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for the comments! Inspired me to continue writing this story!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **This one is a bit graphic.**

* * *

 _I fell for the same trick twice._

Isabel groaned as she woke up from her drug ridden state and found that her head hurt immensely. She attempted to bring a hand to her face to pinch at the pressure at her nose, but it was of no avail. Steel restraints dug into the flesh at her wrists and were held above her head. With further investigation she soon found her legs were chained to the walls below her as well, but where slightly apart unlike her wrists which were held together.

 _Of course my legs would be separated..._ She brought her eyes up regardless of the pounding in her head and took in her dim surroundings. There were a few candles that littered the perimeter of the area and wax melted messily upon the floor in neglect. By the state of things she could tell that this room had held many victims before her and in result she felt rage stir within her. _I shall enjoy this._

Moments later the sound of stone sliding on stone resonated into the room and then a man appeared before her. She had not seen where he had come from and that disturbed her. Her eyes darted around the room trying to find any point of entry, but with how dim the lights were she couldn't see anything outside of the circle of candles. While distracted, the man had made his way over to her almost soundlessly. He stopped before her and took her in. The man wore a dark cloak and nothing could be seen but the man's mouth. The memory from when she met Cain flooded her mind and her resolve shattered. If this man before her was a demon…

She drew air in to scream to her servant but suddenly the man lashed out a hand to cover her mouth. "Now, now. If you scream you will give my position away." The man chuckled and turned her head left and right examining her face. He sighed, seeming disappointed "you're not the damsel I'm looking for, but I believe I have seen you before. Whom might you be, my lady?"

The woman glared down at the man's hand at her mouth and then flicked her violet orbs back at him, questioning his idiocy. The man barked a laugh, but snuffed it quickly as he leaned in close to his hand upon her lips and whispered "promise not to yell?"

In response Isabel drew back her lips and bit the palm of his hand. The two stood like that for several seconds and just when she was about clamp down with the full intention to draw blood, the man released her mouth. She was about to betray him and scream for Cain, but a flash of silver at her throat stopped her.

"Oh, so you aren't good with orders. Perhaps you're a noble? Shall we teach you how to listen then, Miss?" he inched the knife closer to her throat and she could feel the cold touch of the blade suggesting how close it truly was. "You're name please-"

The man stopped talking and jerked his head behind him, hyper alert. The echoes of footsteps trickled into the room suggesting a group was making their way to the chamber. The man turned to face her once more and sighed. "If you can provide a long enough distraction, perhaps you may live this night yet." The man then quickly ran the way he came and disappeared.

 _The hell!?_ _What a coward!_ Isabel glowered as she watched the man flee but didn't have much time to silently curse the cloaked chicken as her captor finally entered the room and he had _friends._

Mr. Botly walked in as he was finishing some humorous conversation with the man slightly behind him. When his eyes met hers, he smiled lecherously "and here she is, the woman of the hour. Miss Isabel Crane."

"Greetings Mr. Botly. Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding; I was expecting a party _not_ captivity. You can understand my confusion on this matter." Isabel masked her anger in a polite tone; she wouldn't allow the mask to slip until absolutely necessary.

"There has been no mix up and you have in fact become my _toy._ Well, _our_ toy." The man outstretched his arms to his two companions "Fredric is to my left, and Kenneth to my right."

"Names hardly matter when it comes to livestock. I wouldn't want to grow attached to them because when their time comes, and they will all be _slaughtered._ " The woman's venomous tone made the Swine's lackeys make sounds that resembled mockery and she felt her jaw clench. _They will be first._

"Such a mouth for a lady!" Mr. Botly exclaimed with amusement and hurried over so he could stand before her. He reached out a hand and brought it to her thigh, stroking it through the cloth of her dress. "I _like_ it." With his other hand he pulled out a knife and met her eyes with lust. "Shall we see what's beneath?"

" _I think not."_ An eerie disembodied voice slipped into the room and seemed to surround the people within the chamber. The lights began to dim as the voice sounded once more, but this time the sound was empowered by pure hostility. " _You are not worthy of handling my possessions, mortal."_ Laughter with the power of thunder shook the room and one by one the candles went out until only one remained; the one behind the men. What were once three men now were four.

Cain stood behind Fredric and Kenneth and had one hand on the back of the each of the men's heads. Their eyes fluttered and shut upon contact from the demon's touch and they promptly fell to the floor unconscious. Cain's eyes blazed their ember red and locked on Nathaniel Botly, his prey.

"You! Stay back!" Nathanial warned, his voice cracking in terror.

"Hello, Nathaniel. Now that they are out of the way… _let's get to business."_ Each step the demon took as he closed the distance between him and the cowering man a piece of his glamour slipped. First it was fact that he grew several feet, which resulted in Botly back pedaling away from him. Then it was the fact that those black shadow like tentacles grew from behind him and began to encroach the man. Botly fell and hastily crawled away, but one of the materialized limbs shot out and wrapped around the man's ankle, pulling him back.

"Oh come now, _play with me."_ The tentacle pulled the man into the air and suspended him upside down in front of the demon's face that was now the same size of the man all together. The skin had melted and vanished beneath the swirling form of shadows that was now Cain, fully materialized. The shadow like feelers writhed around as if wanting turns to graze the man dangling from one of its companions, but they stilled as the enormous mouth of the demon opened once more to speak.

" _Did you enjoy the feel of her against you, human?"_ The appendages thrashed and the sound of bones breaking reverberated through the room and Botly immediately began screaming in pain. He sobbed as he brought his shattered hands to his face.

" _Did you enjoy dancing with her?"_ Again those shadows moved and snapped each of the man's legs, bending them in sickening directions. The man screamed out once more, joining the chorus of the demon's laughter.

" _Did you enjoy witnessing her perfection and beauty?"_ Blood erupted beneath the man's crippled hands and the sounds of his sobs were the only reaction.

"Just... kill me... please." Botly sobbed in a faint whisper as blood poured from his limbs, creating a pool beneath him.

Isabel watched the man be tortured before her in utter silence and felt raw terror for the first time in so many years. Her brain screamed for her to order Cain to just finish the man, but her lips would not move so instead, she stood there and watched. She couldn't blink, her brain making her witness every second of the man's pain.

Suddenly the demon released the man and he plummeted to the floor with a sickening crunch. Blood splashed as he hit the puddle he had created and splattered crimson in all directions. The large red eyes of the demon moved to focus on Isabel and several of the tentacles headed in that way. Each shadow took a restraint and the metal broke beneath the limb. Isabel was about to fall but the appendages joined together to create a larger mass in which to catch her.

"You orders, Mistress?" Cain spoke naturally as the shadows began to dissipate in number until the one holding her only remained. Glamour finally collected, he approached Isabel slowly and considered the woman. She looked ill and he pondered if he had gone too far. Perhaps he had said too much? He did enter without being ordered and perhaps she was unhappy with that.

"Cain… I order you to never harm me. When we have completed our contract, you may do as you please, but until then harming me is off limits." Isabel looked down at the man now face down drowning in his own blood.

Cain's brows furrowed, confused "I would never harm you-"

"PROMISE ME, DEMON!" Isabel's eyes shot up, tears falling from the violets. "Promise me…"

Cain blinked several times as he understood how frightened his lady was upon witnessing a portion of his power. He also recalled how in the past he had jokingly threatened her from time to time. The appendage holding her set her back down upon the ground softly and the demon walked over to her. Once there he kneeled down until he was lower than her "if you order it then it shall be written."

Silence ensued as Isabel stared at the top of Cain's head, but their momentary peace was broken by the two men groaning as they began to regain consciousness. She looked down at the demon puzzled.

"They are still alive?"

"I was unsure what you wished to do with them" Cain reported, head still bowed.

"Yet you obliterated Botly" Isabel's eyebrow quirked.

Cain finally looked up with an annoyed expression "that was for pleasure."

Isabel laughed then, the sound merry "Well then. Finish those two and if there are others, dispose of them as well." She stood then and wiped the grime from her gown.

"The others have already been taken care of, as you made me wait far too long, Mistress." The demon stood as well and brought his hands out to crackle his knuckles. "The horses have also been freed in case any were to flee in the process."

This brought an even brighter smile to her face. "Excellent job…" suddenly her eyebrows furrowed. "What of the man in the cloak?"

Cain glanced back at her in confusion while he approached the two stirring bodies "There was none."

Isabel tapped her chin and then turned to find the stairs in the darkness. "Finish them quickly and meet me upstairs."

"Of course, Mistress."

She hurried up the stairs ignoring the screams of agony from bellow. She wanted to find that man and strangle him personally. She began opening doors restlessly and was about to give up as each room only held the remains of Cain's victims. It was then that she found a room in which she heard the faint sound of a woman sobbing. She paused and searched the room and found no one within.

"Show yourself." Isabel called out, crossing him arms in impatience.

The sobbing stopped as if repressed and slowly a woman peeked from behind a dresser. The woman was covered in blood and was completely naked. Her eyes were bloodshot and saturated with tears.

"I shall grant you a choice, girl." Isabel strode over to the woman and looked down at her. "If you believe you can recover from such a hell then take my hand." Isabel offered the woman one of her hands "if not, then I shall free you from your misery. Now choose."

The woman stared at Isabel's hand considering the elegant woman's words. After several minutes the woman suddenly took her hand.

Isabel smiled smugly "you shall serve me loyally as your lady and I in turn will offer you protection and shelter."

The woman nodded and smiled genuinely "yes… my lady."

"What is your name, girl?" Isabel demanded.

The woman looked lost as she stared up at the woman awaiting an answer.

"I will give you one then. With a new name you shall start a new page of your life, _Kaile._ "

* * *

The two now stood outside of their carriage after setting the blood stained nude into the cabin.

"Your report?" Isabel questioned as she watched the small flames begin to consume the estate.

"I obtained many documents pertaining to the trade routes Mr. Botly frequented so replacing him with a merchant of our own could be possible." Cain gave the papers he had collected before he had set the house aflame.

"And the man in the cloak?"

"None, I checked all rooms for a disposed cowl or any traces of the man. No footprints, no presence." Cain narrowed his eyes "quite unnatural."

Isabel sighed and turned to the carriage then "then he got away, damn." She then ducked and entered the cabin showing her desire to return home.

Cain climbed up to the driver's seat and whipped the horses into gear. They responded quickly and took off in a flurry of motion.

His mistress had insisted she had seen this mystery man, but he knew of no such mortal who could have escaped his radar. In his free time the demon had busied himself with freeing the horses from the stables and carriages. He had even gone as far as shattering the wheels of the carriages as a precaution. After that he had slipped through each window and killed each man silently. Well, as silent as exploding a body could be.

The demon was quite confident that he would have sensed one fleeing the area as he was hyper aware of each pulse present. However… if the man was not a human… The demon's eyes began to glow in the windy darkness and a ghost of a smile played upon his lips.

 _At last, a challenge._

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Isabel may seem similar to Ciel as they both have experienced tragic pasts and wish for payment from such fates.**

 **However, I am determined for Isabel to walk her own name so just you wait and see!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Might I ask about this additional baggage?" Cain asked while lifting the blood stained woman from the carriage. The two had finally arrived home after many hours of traveling and Isabel found that she could barely tolerate walking, let alone the demon's questions.

"Because" Isabel stated, her tone flat. "I chose to."

The demon's eyebrow lifted, clearly expecting a better answer. "If that is all, then why must we feed another mouth? We have plenty of staff already employed, another is not required; not to mention that the ones we do hold on retainer are for the sole purpose of creating an image as to not arouse suspicion." Cain stared at the back of his lady's head, considering her "unless you have another purpose for her?"

Isabel sighed in exasperation "I figured she was the only living witness, so perhaps she may have seen the cloaked man. If she didn't, then we shall fire another as I have completely gained loyalty over that girl. Rather than the many we hired during our haste, where they all simply stay in hopes that you will take them to their beds." Isabel was almost growling at the end of her rant, and she glared back at him. "Why does it matter? Drilling your Mistress like so." Isabel continued to vent as the two walked the distance from the stables to the house with the unconscious woman thrown over the demon's shoulder.

 _She's hiding her true purpose, but I suppose I understand._ Cain knew Isabel well enough that he could tell that she was becoming defensive. She normally would have no problem explaining her methods; rather she prided herself in her schemes, so the fact that she was growing angry with him and making excuses pretty much proved his hunch. Cain narrowed his eyes, annoyed she wasn't speaking the whole truth. If it were any other female, he would simply take the women's chin and make her tell him. It would take but seconds upon looking into the demon's eyes and any woman would submit themselves in the false hope of sinful bliss. Isabel was special in the most frustrating of ways, as seduction held no effect upon his Mistress. In most cases, such methods would only make the problem worse.

He watched as Isabel glided up the small stairs to the front door and went to open it, moving her body against it once ajar. Cain accelerated his step as well as to not having his lady holding the door any longer then she must. Once both inside, Isabel turned to the girl in his arms and narrowed her eyes at her. After a few seconds Isabel reached up and pinched the woman's nose. The girl began to twitch in slight discomfort, but then moments later her eyes began to flutter open. She made a soft noise and brought her hands up to rub at her eyes, but jumped when she felt Isabel's hand on her nose.

"Wake up, Kaile. We have arrived." Isabel said, removing her hand when she saw the woman focus on her. She watched as the girl weakly took in her surroundings and then noticed Cain carrying her. Her eyes widened in surprise and then her features switched to that of embarrassment due to her lack of clothing. Her eyes continued to gaze up at the white haired Casanova with eyes full of curiosity and the demon gave her a curt smile.

"Don't mind, Cain. He is one of my servants as well." Isabel looked up at the man in question and wore an annoyed expression "you may ogle each other later in your private time, but as of now we must clean her up. She smells absolutely dreadful."

The crimson orbs of the demon flicked up suddenly to examine his Mistress. Had that been spite he had heard? _Interesting…_ Understanding the underlying order, Cain gently put Kaile down on her feet and bowed to both women before disappearing down the hallway.

"Here, at least put this on." Isabel walked over to a coat tree and withdrew a dark cowl hung upon the top rung. She brought it over to the girl and went about draping around her. "I shall show you to the bath house."

The two walked down the hallway and soon found themselves in a comfortable silence. Isabel enjoyed the soft hum you only heard during such times, but then the gentle voice of Kaile broke it.

"Why did you save me?" The girl's voice was almost a whisper.

Isabel paused for a moment before answering, considering this question for the second time this evening. She wanted to believe it was only because she may hold valuable information, but what use was it to lie to herself.

"I saw myself… I am curious if you can recover with such a small act of kindness when you have experienced a hell unlike any other." Isabel's tone was light, sounding almost gentle. "How long were you there?"

"At that residence, a few weeks… Prior to that, I have been enslaved for a couple years." Kaile answered purely out of question, but that was hardly her focus. "You saw yourself…?"

Isabel turned to face the girl abruptly and the intensity of her features were embellished under the harsh moonlight that shined from a nearby window. "I don't make a habit in repeating myself." The violet of her eyes grew dark with expectation "live and serve me faithfully and we shall create a new era." She turned yet again and her hair flew restlessly, flowing upon a wind completely her own.

The girl with wide eyes watched the woman walk down the hall. Her throat became dry as she felt overwhelmed by her new Mistress's pride and confidence. The distance felt impossible to obtain, whilst her legs lagged in the past, but when Isabel glanced over her shoulder with an amused smiled Kaile felt her body move. She wanted to be able to walk in this woman's shadow, she wanted to catch up with her, and she wanted to live.

* * *

"A man in a cowl?" Kaile asked, while scrubbing herself thoroughly in front of her Mistress. Well, she shouldn't say _in front_ of her, because they were both bathing.

"Yes, a man completely shrouded in a dark black cowl. His mouth might have been the only feature you would have seen as everything else was completely hidden." Isabel said, tossing her hair over her head to tie it up with a very fascinating clip.

"No… I don't recall a man fitting such a description. It does not sound like any of my previous clientele." Kaile found it was hard not to glance over at the woman as she washed herself, and it didn't help she wasn't the least bit considered with the girl looking at her. Though the woman's beauty caught her attention that was not the sole reason why Kaile found herself constantly looking at her.

Scars littered the woman, starting from her shoulders and weaving down all the way to the tops of her feet. They varied in depth and color and she found her Mistress wore them confidently, not ashamed or shy of the past brutality she had suffered.

"How long do you intend to stare?"

Kaile blushed, as she was caught. She immediately looked anywhere, but at the woman. "My apologies… The marks are compelling." She then busied herself with finishing her personal cleaning. She was so focused upon completing this task she did not sense the woman until she felt arms wrap themselves around her form.

"M-m-mistress?" Kaile squeaked, trying to look back at the woman behind her hugging her.

"I envy your soft skin, Kaile." Isabel's hands ventured from Kaile's smooth belly and then snaked around her sides. Immediately Kaile screamed out in laughter, causing the woman to pause in her exploration. Isabel removed her hands and leaned over the girl to look at her curiously, awaiting an explanation.

"I am… ticklish." Kaile said her face a complete mess. She didn't know how to act around this odd woman.

Isabel blinked several times, considering this new information. She then smiled wickedly "I see, how amusing…"

Laughter erupted from the walls of the small wash house, causing the demon waiting outside to sigh.

Cain glared at the door that separated him from what he believed to be a most entertaining show. However, he could not enter as he had been specifically ordered not to by his annoying Mistress's lips. Regardless of how the demon fought saying Isabel should not bathe in such quarters, she had simply followed the girl by the name of Kaile saying she had much to speak with her about. The demon may not have been able to see, but he could hear their conversation in complete clarity. He was fully aware of Kaile witnessing his lady and he didn't much care for it. Perhaps he had made mental enemies with the wrong sex…

After almost an hour, the ladies emerged from the bath house. Isabel was first, her hair slightly frizzy as it typically was after a bath. She grinned to Cain "I trust you remained outside the entire time?"

"As ordered, yes" Cain replied in a flat tone.

"Splendid. I will be retiring for the night, be a dear and show Kaile to her quarters." Isabel waved at the demon and quickly traveled down the length of the hallway to vanish in its faint darkness.

Cain watched her go until he couldn't see her any longer and then turned to face the girl in question. His expression and voice was harsher then he intended. "Don't dawdle and follow me." He faced forward once more and began to escort the girl.

Kaile followed the man in silence, wondering the two's relationship. She didn't believe Cain was a butler or footman, as he felt much higher in class. He stood tall and walked with confidence, his position confusing her. She hadn't realized how long she had been considering this until Cain stopped and gestured to a door.

"This shall serve as your quarters for as long as you remain our Mistress's tenant. Try and get some sleep, as our work day starts very early. Tomorrow I will have you shadowing some of the other ladies and you will learn your duties from them. Good evening, Miss Kaile." Cain nodded to her, and then turned on his heel to go.

"Cain… what is your title?" Kaile asked her voice timid.

He glanced back, his eyes glowing in their demonic way "currently I am honored to serve as my Mistress's shadow." Then as if engulfed in darkness, Cain vanished.

* * *

"What do you mean he hasn't returned?!" Isabel growled at the useless man that stood before her.

"Um… well, Lady Crane, Winston left early last week and has yet to return…" The man reported, seeming very uncomfortable. His terror rose as Isabel's eyes darkened in rage and she rose to walk towards him.

It had been nearly a month since Isabel had established a trading route which mimicked the deceased Botly's. She had sent out three and each were under the supervision of the man standing before her who was sweating as if he was standing before the sun itself.

"I entrusted you with this route, Lance, because I felt you capable, but I suppose I was wrong." She kept walking towards him until she was in his face. "At least you can provide me with an idea of all the stops your man was supposed to do?"

Lance gulped and quickly grabbed his satchel to retrieve a piece of parchment. "Yes! Of course my lady! I have documented all markets he was supposed to travel to in his route…"

After a couple hours the boy by the name of Lance could be seen quickly galloping off on his horse in fright from his meeting with Isabel Crane.

"Useless! Cain, come here if you will." Isabel said as she fell back into her chair.

Cain simply materialized in front of her with a whisk of shadows "what do you wish of me, Mistress?"

"We are going on a trip. Please make preparations that account for our absence for several days as we will be investigating where my trader has disappeared." She raked her hair away from her face with her contracted hand and the symbol beneath glowed to reflect her commanding tone.

The demon nodded "I will summon a servant of mine to watch over the estate in our absence, how soon would you like to leave?"

Isabel fought her curiosity to answer Cain "immediately as I do not know where my supply rests as of currently. What servant?"

Cain grinned then as he brought his head back up "Shall I introduce you?"

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **From those of you who read Atonement, who do you think Cain will introduce her to?**

 **See you all next chapter! Look forward to your answers :3**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is short as next chapter will be very long.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **You can see if you were right about who Cain was introducing. :D**

* * *

Cain and Isabel had ventured away from the manor and now stood in a nook of trees where they would be safe to conduct what the demon had said would be a summoning. The late evening wind chilled the woman and blew her long hair in all different directions causing her annoyance to rise. She regretted not deciding to bring a scarf when the demon had said they would go for a walk, but now she knew.

Warmth touched the tops of her shoulders as a dark fabric consumed her. Strong hands gripped the sides of her arms and began to rub them up and down in an attempt to create heat beneath the cloth. Cain's face entered the woman's peripheral from beneath the hood and she was relieved that the dark shadow that ran across her face hid her blushing features.

"We are now here. Normally a demon would never allow a spectator during a summoning, but since you will be joining me in a few years I do not see the point in such precautions." Cain released the woman and walked to the center of the small clearing they were standing in. He brought his arms up to stretch them out beside him and took a deep breath. Leafs and debris that scattered the forest floor began to roll towards the demon as if they were dragged in by the inhalation of the creature. Then with a chuckle the demon released his air and the particles that were once reeled in were then released in an outburst of wind centering from Cain. Shadows flowed from the contours of the demon and the air became thick with power. His hands came down to point at the ground beneath him and the limbs caught aflame. The demon's unique symbol spread beneath him widely, with him standing in the center of the odd star looking formation.

" _I call thee, sworn servant of the sixth Lord; Lara. I request your services…"_ Cain's voice echoed with unnatural versions of his own voice causing the woman watching to shiver from more than just the cold surrounding her.

Moments passed and the clearing became _too_ quiet, yet Isabel felt compelled to remain silent. After another several minutes, Isabel was about to sigh in frustration due to her impatience, but then the sound of a very feminine voice resonated within the small area rendering her speechless yet again.

" _Greetings love, you summoned me?"_ A woman appeared between two of the trees in front of the demon and she began to walk towards him with her head held high. Blonde curls framed the woman's face and tumbled down her back as she moved into motion. Once she entered the clearing, the moon bathed her in a dull white light, making her skin appear porcelain beneath the gentle rays. Light blue eyes, the color of ice, swept down to lock in a gaze with the glowing red of the summoning demon.

"I have, as I intend to ask a favor of you." Cain replied, a smirk upon his face. "I hadn't expected you to appear in glamour, but I praise you on your attentiveness."

"I was wondering where you had run off too…" She tilted her head to look at the cloaked woman standing several feet behind him, shivering. "Mingling with mortals? You are a lord now, my king. Such chores are below you and you do not have the time to waste on some human's petty problem when you have just taken a throne." The woman crossed her arms, appearing snide "don't you understand how busy I have been keeping the _pests_ away?" She then brought a hand to the demon's arm and ran a finger up it seductively "however will you atone for this, my lord?"

"Annoying," Isabel said, and intensity crackled through the air.

The demonic woman craned her head once again to focus her cold eyes upon the shrouded woman. "Excuse me, human?"

"Oh, can you not hear? My apologies, I was under the impression that any demon my servant would summon would at least be capable of such a simple skill." Isabel reached up to pull the hood that covered her face and revealed she was smiling beneath. "I called you annoying, demon."

The she-demon moved, but luckily for Isabel, Cain was prepared. Within a blink of an eye, the male demon slammed the female into the ground creating a crater around them from the force of the impact.

" _Release me!"_ The she-demon screeched, raking at the collective shadows that pinned her to the ground.

"Lara, heed my words. I am under oath with my lady Isabel, and until our contract is complete I will remain by her side and protect her till our goal is complete." Cain's red eyes now matched the squirming nightmare pinned beneath him and the large mouth of the demon grinned in a most disturbing fashion. "Assist me in this matter and I can assure you that any aide in this endeavor will allow us to obtain our goal much earlier than we intended."

The she-demon considered the man's words and after several moments of silence, the woman morphed back into the blonde with curls. "What do you wish of me, my lord?"

Cain straightened, his own glamour reinstating itself, and reached a hand to help the woman up. "I wish for you to watch over this mansion."

The she-demon raised an eyebrow in question; looking irritated "you summoned me to this realm in order to watch a building?"

"Precisely," Cain nodded.

Silence ensued and even the crickets decided it was best to hold their legs still.

"Are we done here?" Isabel broke the silence, disliking ever second she stood there "we need to move, Cain. Time is wasted standing here unnecessarily."

"Your human is right; you must complete whatever trivial task she asks of you as soon as possible so you may return to your kingdom." The demon then offered Isabel a spiteful smile "you always have enjoyed _toys."_

Isabel's eyes blazed and Cain moved to stand before her. His arm snaked around his mistress, holding her possessively "you shall address my lady by her name, Lara. I will not forgive such insults driven at my Mistress in the future, so it would benefit you to hold your tongue."

A growl escaped Lara as her eyes glowed scarlet in the pale moonlight, her anger focused solely on Isabel. She curtsied with evident disgust, fire in her eyes "If it is your _Mistress's_ wish, then I shall assist you in this matter."

* * *

"Your silence has me wondering where your mind has wandered too, Ib." Cain asked, looking over at the woman seated beside him. The two had obtained a small caravan and were headed to the first stop the merchant would have made in his route. They had traveled for a few hours in complete silence after their meeting with Lara.

Cain had explained what he expected of the demoness and she had bowed swearing she would not fail him. She had done all of this whilst ignoring Isabel which the demon could tell annoyed his Mistress thoroughly.

"I apologize for Lara's behavior-"

Isabel cut him off by glaring at him in pure hatred. The demon nodded, realizing the silence would continue regardless of his paltry apologies, so he turned his attention to the road to distract him.

Once the demon had looked away, Isabel returned her glare back to the small chip in the wood she had noticed on the floor of the rickety cart. Tonight's events played in repetition in her mind and each time she recalled the scene the fire within her rekindled. She despised Lara, and the reason why she felt such hatred for the demoness made her disgusted. She was _jealous_ of the two's unknown relationship. The way the demoness had touched him, the spark of recognition in both their eyes upon witnessing each other, and the playful tones they had reserved for one another drove Isabel mad. Upon realizing such attachment to the demon seated next to her, she felt the need to run, to clear her head and regain control of such stupid sentiments. Attachment would get her nowhere in her fleeting relationship with the demon and she reminded herself that she was incapable of _love._ She may experience lust, but love was impossible.

"I dislike her. Once we get back she shall return to whatever nightmare she was spawned from." Isabel finally spoke, crossing her legs in discomfort "how much longer until we arrive, demon?"

Cain slid his eyes to the side to glance at the woman in amusement "I approximate that a quarter of an hour remains until we reach our destination."

Isabel made a throaty noise, showing her impatience. "Then wake me when we arrive." The demon had expected for her to climb into the bed of the small cart, but instead she simply sprawled out with her head in his lap and curled to face his chest and the wood of the seats.

"Do not wake me until then" Isabel murmured against his stomach, making the demon smirk.

"As you wish, Ib" the demon shifted his hands to hold the reigns with one and brought the other down to begin lightly combing her hair with his fingertips. Isabel glowered into his abdomen but accepted the gentle caress nonetheless.

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Rivalee was a very young demon, so she didn't exist during Cain's earlier reign. : I miss her so much!**

 **Thanks for the reviews! Makes me extremely happy to read that you are enjoying the story so far and gives me confidence as a writer.**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I love writing the story. :3**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"My lady, we have arrived." Cain's voice was low and dripping with sin as he stirred his Mistress awake. She refused at first and clenched a handful of material at his stomach to pull herself closer, but then as if recalling where she slept, she sighed sadly and sat up straight. A lazy yawn escaped her lips and tears collected at the corners of her eyes from drowsiness. She brought her hands up next to begin rubbing at the weary lids.

"It's about time. I dislike traveling, so the sooner we solve this problem the better. I definitely do not want to leave your lover alone watching over my estate any longer then I must." Isabel brought her hands above her head and began to stretch towards the sky.

Cain's eyes slid to consider his Mistress "Lara is hardly my lover, Ib. I haven't the time to commit myself to another, nor do I have any particular interest in such sport."

"Sport?!" Isabel's head jerked, looking at him incredulously "come again?!"

Cain look thoughtful "perhaps I have used the wrong words, but the meaning is all the same. I have much else to do with my time then to spend it courting some lass or demoness. I shall reconsider when the time seems appropriate."

Isabel appeared bored "I didn't ask of your relationship status, demon."

"I thought human's enjoyed small talk." Cain explained with a devious smile.

Isabel sighed in annoyance and returned her gaze to the passing forestry "my maids will be ecstatic when I inform them of this information I have collected while exchanging small talk with a demon."

Cain laughed then, surprising Isabel by how natural it sounded. Normally when the demon partook in laughter it was the most disturbing sensation; however, that might be because the demon typically would be cackling at his prey as he tore them limb from limb.

Shivering, Isabel shook her head and returned to the present as she noticed several guards at the gates leading into their destination.

"It shall go exactly like I said. You must do all of the talking as I don't wish for us to stand out which we would as a female trader with a servant. Instead, like we rehearsed" Isabel groaned, not overly fond with her own plans "we shall be stereotypical and portray ourselves as husband and wife."

Cain in response slid his hand around her side and pulled her tight against him "our names for this charade?"

Isabel's face flushed and she cursed "I didn't think of aliases-"

One of the guards held out a hand, cutting off their hushed conversation "who might you be and what is your business?"

"Greetings! May I introduce myself. I am Cain and this is my wife Ib. We are traveling traders that wish to spend some time doing business within the city for I have heard the market is of good standing." Cain's voice was a bit higher pitched and had a slight accent to it that might suggest he was a field worker in the past.

Isabel smiled at the guards and laid her head on Cain's arm looking like the infatuated wife and hissed in a pitch almost inaudible "Cain and Ib was your best, truly?"

Cain watched as the guards began to go through their cart to make sure they were telling the truth and to judge if what they were selling could be sold in town. The guards collected the small fee merchants had to pay to enter and waved them off on their way. Once they were out of earshot Cain murmured into Isabel's ear "I enjoy speaking your pet name, Mistress. Besides, no one will ever make connections that a merchant's wife by the name of 'Ib' would in fact be one of the most successful tailors of this day and age." His eyes then sparkled as the demon noticed an opportunity to toy with her "I will admit out of all the acts and chores you have ordered me to carry out, this by far shall be the most entertaining and enjoyable."

Isabel grabbed the demon's face and pushed it away "you will stop this nonsense at once, Cain."

The demon grinned against the soft skin of her palm and chuckled "if that is what you wish, my wife."

Once the two arrived at the market, the demon was surprised by the fact that Isabel went straight into merchant mode. She started displaying the gowns and linens and was soon cupping her hands to amplify her already strong voice. Soon he found himself following suit in utter confusion, but Isabel wasn't Isabel if she wasn't keeping the demon on his toes.

They spent hours selling and trading and only the sun sinking behind the horizon was their reminder that the day was coming to a close. Suddenly Isabel dropped her act and leaned into Cain appearing weary.

"I am going to get the word of town now that we fit in. Stay here and tend to our wares, I don't wish for another cart of my merchandise to slip away yet again." She then pushed away and smiled with her best impression of a love sick wife "I will be back, my darling! I shall get us some food while you tend to cleaning up."

Cain's eye twitched as he watched his Mistress flee, once again leaving him to tidy up.

"I should have brought Kaile to tend to this" the demon sighed and turned his attention to the mess which was their cart. With a quick glance to make sure no human was watched, Cain waved a hand and the cart tidied itself all upon its own. The demon coughed out a haughty laugh, "as if a demon lord would clean. Now then, to find my Mistress" Cain made simple work with hiding the cart by opening a portal in order to push the cart into the void. Once the nuisance had vanished into the unknown, Cain clapped his hands twice and laughed in amusement, _and none is the wiser, heh._

Isabel had roamed to several shops now asking about a cart much like her own and the only thing she found was an increasing amount of frustration. She realized she had done so well this evening that no commoner could recall a cart in comparison. Pinching her nose, she decides to approach a group of guardsmen as a last resort, desperate for answers.

Upon approaching, the men looked up and nodded at her and one of them addressed her "how did you and your husband fair?"

"Well, my thanks" Isabel smiled politely to all of them and returned her attention to the one speaking "might I ask a question, as we are looking for our comrades as well in this journey."

The guard nods and gestures for her to sit down, she complies.

"We are looking for another man with a cart such as our own. He went missing a couple weeks ago and we are becoming quite worried for his safety."

"I thought I recognized the cloth, but I thought you had traded with the gentlemen." One of the guards from earlier at the gates then spoke up, Isabel now recognizing him. "The man you speak of was in fact here, but he left with a group of merchants as the roads have been rumored to be unsafe as of late." The guard looked grim then and walked over to her to rest a hand on her shoulder "if he has not returned… you may be out of luck Miss."

"What group of merchants?" Isabel asked, trying to hide her excitement when in fact in character she should be worried.

"There are two groups, one that heads south and one that heads north. I believe your man was heading north if I recall. If you wish to speak with them they usually meet at the tavern in the center of town." Another guard said, trying to be helpful. "We can show you there, if you would like."

"No, I thank you. You have all been most helpful this evening" Isabel stands then and curtsies to them.

"Give you husband our regards" one of them said, nodding to her.

"Yes, please tell him he is fortunate to have such a lovely wife" another said with a grin, and for once Isabel laughed with genuine amusement.

She took her leave then and decided to take a less nosy route back to the cart in order to report back to Cain. She was few minutes from the guard post before she became aware of someone following her. Her skin prickled with awareness and she suddenly turned down an alley. If the figure followed her down the random corner then she would know for a fact that it was following her. Goosebumps littered her skin as she heard the stalker turn the corner with her and fear spiked when the sound of laughter filled the alleyway.

"So you did live after all. I had thought the worst when I later returned to find the estate in ashes."

Isabel turned in disbelief and gawked as she saw the man dressed in dark robes from that night "the chicken!"

The figure stopped moving and barked in humor "I have been called many things, but I must say I have never been addressed as a 'Chicken'."

Isabel ground her teeth and suddenly darted at the man "those that abandon those less fortunate do not deserve to continue their existence!" Silver shined in the moonlight as Isabel withdrew a dagger from beneath her robes "DIE RAT!"

The form widened his stance and brought his hands up to ready himself for impact, but no such force came. Instead wind with unfathomable speed blew the man from his feet as it pushed past him, flinging him into one of the alley's parallel walls. The woman was then lifted from the force and flung into the air in protesting screams. Shadows from all directions collected and caught Isabel midair in order to place her upon the rooftop.

Isabel growled and attempted to detangle herself from her counterpart "Cain, release-"

"Silence" Cain ordered from somewhere in the coagulated darkness, causing Isabel to shut her lip.

After a moment the demon reformed himself and glared at her "Stay. Here." After which he leaped off the rooftop and landed in the alley below.

Isabel glowered and promised herself she would torment the demon later for commanding her, but she could at least watch the exchange beneath.

 _He better not kill him._ Isabel crawled with care in order to not fall from such a height and peeked her head over to watch Cain approaching the man.

"My my, I never thought I would see one of your kin here, devil." The cloaked man stood with help from the wall and roughly spat blood upon the floor. "I suppose it would make since that the prestigious 'Isabel Crane' would meddle with the likes of you."

Cain's expression darkened "I would advise you to hold your tongue if you wish for your death to be quick. I believe you are aware what my _kin_ are capable of, mortal." Cain's eyes flashed red in the darkness and the shadows surrounding them began to quiver in anticipation.

The man stumbled and the hood slipped revealing the features beneath. Silver hair of shoulder length spilled from beneath and piercing emerald eyes glared at the demon in front of him. "I am aware. Therefore, I shall take my leave with such useful information as a mortal of my statue wouldn't last a minute against the fallen. At least… not yet" the man smiled and muttered something causing the demon to jolt forward, the shadows pointed like razors.

"DO NOT KILL HIM CAIN!" Isabel screamed, reaching out from the rooftop.

The demon abruptly stopped, his shadows dissipating from the sudden order and the man laughed as he suddenly fell to the ground with a clatter. The demon cursed and stalked over to the heap to grab the cloak with rage. He tore it away and bones scattered the ground.

"The hell?!" Isabel asked in disbelief. "Where did he go?"

"He teleported" Cain explained kneeling down to the glare at the bones. "Why did you stop me, Isabel?"

"He is my kill, not yours." She retorted and felt the extinguished fire within her rekindle.

"You could not kill him and you are a fool for stopping me." The demon stood once more and turned to land his glare on her instead "a necromancer cannot be killed by the likes of humans and now he has fled with our secret."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Thank you for your reviews!**

 **Azure, you really should get an account! XD**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**HELLO! WELCOME BACK! :D**

 **So happy to be writing this story as it is challenging me as a writer and I love it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The two walked the dark streets of the town in search of the tavern the guards had told Isabel about. They had been traveling for less than an hour before Isabel grew weary of the uncomfortable silence.

"We will deal with the pest later, but first we must finish our business here." She glanced at Cain as he walked beside her, but the demon payed her no mind. His eyes were focused forward and had remained so for the entire walk. During their time together never had the demon remained silent and the odd behavior was annoying her.

"I order you stop dwelling in the past and focus on the present, Cain and what has your tongue?"

Crimson orbs slid to glare down at the woman "never have I allowed a witness to live, Isabel. You have wounded my pride this night and I don't much care for it."

Isabel grinned, noticing the demon pouting for the first time since she met him "I apologize, perhaps I can make it up to you later? Right now we need to finish this troublesome errand so we can return and track down the rat."

Cain's eyes narrowed, watching her "is this task so important that you will ignore someone walking this realm with our secrets?"

Isabel shrugged and returned to looking in front of her as to not trip on anything down the narrow alley "yes, this a way to spread my name along the country side. It is no coincidence that _my_ merchant would go missing. I take a regular trader's route and suddenly my cart disappears? I think not." She moved closer to Cain until their arms brushed each other and spoke in a low voice "besides, what will the rat do with the information, demon? He has no motive to destroy me so I'm not overly threatened by his presence. You have yet to understand the mind of a human, Cain."

Voices interrupted the two's argument and notified the demon of the human's presence. They were close and when Cain looked up to examine them, they seemed most familiar. Merchants from the town were drawing near and the demon was reminded of their disguises and that's when an idea came to mind that sounded most appealing to him. With quick motion, he grabbed his Mistress's hand and pushed her against one of the parallel walls. With a step, he trapped the woman against the stone and grinned down at her with his eyes gleaming.

"I believe I understand the basic foundations of human thought…" A hand slipped down and caressed her side in order to pull the woman snug to him. "Shall I make you guess what I am thinking, _my wife?"_

Isabel was about to rip the fictitious skin from his lecherous paws, but stopped when she heard their alibi. She found herself looking around, but that's when she dropped her guard and when she saw the shift in features upon the demon's face in her peripheral vision, her stomach flipped. Cain brought his unoccupied hand up and went to cup her chin. "You shall repay me now, Isabel." Then without further hesitation, he pulled her and claimed her lips with his.

Heat and bliss invaded her senses as the demon entered her mouth and she found that Cain had dominated her. His tongue brushed against hers and demanded her to follow suit which she did naturally. She fought to regain herself and attempted to move away, but that only caused the demon to growl softly in possessiveness.

Just like the demon had suspected. His Mistress tasted like pure ecstasy and he would not allow her to spoil this. He was a demon lord and he would take what he wanted, when he wanted. This was one of the reasons why the demon had ceased making those outdated Faustian contracts. He needed no protection against the divine as he had obtained power in order to fight them if it ever presented necessary. Taking a sector of hell was no easy feat, and Cain had done so after a hundreds of years of planning.

So then why did he make a contract with this mortal woman? He would admit her aura was electrifying and made her most compelling, but he could have simply abducted her and done what he wanted in the comfort of his own realm. It disappointed him that she had complied with his lustful demand only after struggling for mere seconds.

Then pain like twisting agony exploded in his mouth. The demon shot back and brought a hand to his lips. Blood gushed from the hand he brought to the afflicted area and his eyes blazed as he brought them up to glare at the woman who had wounded him for the second time this evening, this time in the physical form.

Never had he seen such hatred in his lady's eyes and for the first time in his existence, he felt guilt. She spat out a bloody object from her mouth and threw it at his feet. The appendage rolled until it hit the tip of his boots and the demon looked down to see the missing half of his tongue. She reached out to show him the emblem upon her palm and it glistened with the remnants of his blood.

"Disappear from my sight, you filth. That's an order." The harsh noise of the spike of her heel crunching into the stone was the only evidence the demon sensed as she vanished into the city. He couldn't see through the fog of his emotions mixed with the overwhelming pain that throbbed within his mouth. He attempted to yell out to her, but was drowned out by the blood escaping his lips and throat. He spat the excess liquid onto the alley's floor and began to wreak havoc to the small space as anger erupted within him. Rubbish bins flew and crunched into the stone and debris showered the scene.

"Oi! You there! Stop that at once!" A couple of guards rounded the corner and withdrew swords.

" _It is splendid that you have arrived, oh protectors, as I am in need of souls due to my cruel Mistress's punishment."_

* * *

Isabel stood in front of the tavern after running the remainder of the distance and bent over to catch her breath. Her feet throbbed in pain and her knees had not stopped quivering since the demon had touched her. Tears burned at her eyes and her heart pounded against her chest. She stumbled into the small alley beside the inn and fell to her knees. Tears fell and all she could do was hide in the heap of garbage until her sanity resurfaced. She brought her scraped knees close and wrapped her arms around herself.

She shivered and quivered like a pathetic creature and she slammed her fist into the bin nearest her. She was disgusted in herself, because she knew the true reason behind her wobbly knees and fluttering heart. The demon had seduced her and had succeeded. She felt betrayed, as she thought Cain was different and her heart without her knowledge had offered a portion for the demon to live in. It stung where he had touched her, but how could pain be so sickly sweet? She curled even closer to herself and sobbed through her conflicted emotions.

She was unsure how long she remained there, but she was brought back into the present when a cloth was set on top of her head. Scowling, she grabbed the linen and looked up to shoo whoever had found her, but stilled when she saw the form of the dark cloaked man.

"I seem to always find you in the most awkward of situations, my lady and might I say you look stunning splashed in crimson." The man kneeled before her and took the cloth from her hands to begin dabbing at the corners of her eyes. The hood fell back and she could see his emerald eyes watching her "did your pet bite you?"

"Why are you following me?" Isabel asked, growling. She didn't bother asking the man how he had managed to disappear as she certain she wouldn't get a straight answer, but she felt satisfied he had not gotten far.

"How conceited you are, Miss Crane. Don't you understand our meeting here is pure coincidence?" He grinned then and brought the linen back to shift it to a less moist side "I am here on business and nothing more. I saw you in town earlier this evening so I thought I would greet you."

"By following me like a stalker down an alley?" Isabel asked, unamused.

"I never said it was the greatest of plans, but it did have its benefits. Now I am aware of your little secret and how absolutely delicious it is!" He cried out with a laugh, but faltered when silver touched his jugular.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't end you here and now." She pressed the dagger closer to his throat "and do so quickly, as I am most impatient tonight."

"Just tonight? You don't say…" the man winced and blood trickled from the new wound, but he chuckled in amusement nonetheless. "I can offer you information relevant to your mission as it seems our goals are quite similar."

Isabel glared at him, not wanting to drop the knife "or I could stab you and then later I don't have to keep tabs on you."

"Or…" the man's eyes twinkled "you could employee a most valuable asset, one who knows of your full capability. Of the power you possess."

Isabel considered the man and weighed her options. Cain seemed uneasy about him, but that was even more of a reason she felt compelled to accept this man's offer.

"We have no need of your services, Necromancer. I ask that you do not bore my lady with your groveling for employment." Cain's voice resonated into the small area from origins unknown.

"I believe the choice is not yours, spawn. It is that of your Mistress's. So be a good slave and only speak when told too." The cloaked man stood and offered a hand to Isabel "what say you, my lady?"

Shadows merged and morphed into razor like serpents and one by one they all began to point at the man. It was then that Isabel took his hand and nodded to him.

"As I cannot fully trust my ultimate weapon, a backup method sounds delightful." She reached forward and pulled the hood down the man's back until he was fully revealed "what is your name, rat?"

The man's emerald eyes twitched in slight annoyance, but he bowed to introduce himself in a forced effort. "My name is Issac Petrarch, not rat or chicken or whatever else it is you have been calling me. I look forward to doing business with you my lady Crane."

"Cain, come and introduce yourself to our newest employee." The woman spoke devoid of emotion and gestured to the man in front of her. The shadows ceased their previous activity and began to merge until it created the human apparition that was Cain.

"My name is Cain Warde, a pleasure." The demon spat out the words as if they were toxic and turned to Isabel, separating her from Issac. He then kneels and bows his head deeply "My sincerest apologies, my lady. I cannot atone for what I have done, but I shall never lay my hands on you unless it is asked of me."

Isabel's eyes widened upon hearing the apology and for a second she forgot a demon bowed at her feet. She reached down and pulled the man up to look him in the eye. "What have you done with my demon, you monster."

The demon's eyes softened and he huffed with a laugh "I wonder myself."

"Such a loyal entity, I am shocked. I thought the worst when I found the lady lying in rubbish." Issac stated with mockery evident in his tone "I wonder what your contract entitles…"

Cain turned towards Issac with an expression that would startle any sane human "I will not hesitate to kill you if you wrong my Mistress."

"Nice to meet you too" Issac grinned and reached out to snag the demon's hand to shake it. After kidnapping the limb, the silver haired man examined the emblem upon it. "Such an intricate seal, it is quite familiar…"

"I am not surprised as I have lived for almost a millennium" Cain smirked then, withdrawing his hand "I am surprised, do you study demonology?"

The two rounded the corner, living Isabel to stand in trash. "Yes, I have read several books and traveled to…" the conversation was lost as they reached a distance the neglected lady couldn't hear.

 _Men, fight none stop and now they are comrades._

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Yay, now I get to add Undertaker to the list :3**

 **Um... sorry if I spoiled that, but at this point I think it is known that he is Undertaker...**

 **Yep... *clears throat***

 **SEE YOU ALL NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **Oh, Azure, I meant that you should get an account because there is so much more you can do with it besides just writing stories. If you decide to get one, feel free to PM me. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello all!**

 **Can you please let me know if your lost, I'm not sure if I'm omitting too much because in my head I know whats going on. I want to make sure you all aren't lost.**

 **Lemme know!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The three sat at a table towards the back of the inn and they all turned to watch the barmaid approaching with yet more food for their table. It seems their new recruit thought his employer would have no problem paying for his third serving that evening.

"Question for you Issac; do you only eat when someone pays? Or am I just that special?" Isabel hissed before the woman arrived.

"Of course your special, my lady. Why else would fate drive us together? I would hardly spend my time assisting someone I didn't consider worth my time or services." Issac winked at her and she responded with a roll of her eye. The barmaid finally closed the distance and reached over to place the food before him.

She granted them a large smile "my boss appreciates your business! Please, if you need anything else, just let me know!" She bowed as an afterthought and then bounded back to the bar. Issac reached over for the food with greed filled eyes, but Isabel smacked his hand, stopping him.

" _Assist_ me then, sponge."

"Oh, another pet name? I'm honored" Issac chuckled and sat straight, his eyes watching the food as if it may vanish "I would ask that you direct your attention to the northeastern side of this inn, and pay close attention to the men seated there. There is in fact-"

"I have noticed." Cain's voice cut him off; surprising the two as the entire evening he had remained silent. "I am unsure of their intention, but one has remained focused upon my Mistress and I do not care for it." Cain then shifted his eyes to look at Isabel with a conflicted expression.

Isabel turned to look at the man gazing at her and immediately felt raw terror. She averted her eyes and looked straight forward once more, her heart racing. Instinct demanded she flee but rationality was too confused to listen. A demon sat beside her and yet that man's stare had terrified her more so then Cain ever had. She couldn't explain the terror she felt when she witnessed the man, but she felt it was compared to when children feared the dark or that of monsters. It did not help that her memory screamed she knew him, but she dare not take another glance.

"Isabel?" Cain's head tilted, considering her "what is it?" It was then that Isabel scooted closer to Cain and placed herself in the nook of his arm. She laid her head on his chest and sighed.

"He is just another swine, nothing more. Perhaps we should continue our disguises and it'll discourage him, hmm?" regardless of her small hesitation, she was able to appear confident once more. "What of them, Petrarch?"

"As I was saying, they are the mercenaries that typically get hired for the travels. However, my sources tell me that they are not truly what they seem." Issac continued, daring the demon to interrupt him again, but the threat was wasted as Cain sat absolutely still, staring down at his clinging Mistress.

 _How cruel you are, my lady. I cannot keep up with what you are thinking, but if it has you clinging to me then I can hardly complain. However…_ Cain turns his head to look at the man, his eyes narrowing. _To startle my Mistress so much she resorts to quivering pathetically…_ The demon brings his lips to the woman's ear and spoke only to her "I will protect you, Ib. Do not fret."

Below the table, Isabel grabs Cain's hand and the pressure she exerts acts as a silent promise between the two.

Her violets opened again, seeming empowered "your sources?"

A coy smile crosses Issac's face "information from the mouths of my scouts."

"The undead, you mean" Cain said more so to clarify for his mistress.

"Correct."

"Cain, listen to his report. I am going to talk with the group that I believe manage the caravan trip." She stood then, but didn't get far with the demon still holding her hand. She halted her movement forward to turn to look back and raised a brow at Cain in question.

No words were spoken, but she was convinced the demon was very intent on her whereabouts and would be keeping watch. She smirked and pointed at his hand holding hers "possessive much?"

"Indeed." It was the demon's turn to smile and how genuine it was. A part of Isabel felt restored after witnessing the expression as she had felt conflicted about their earlier exchange. With a stir of her hair, Isabel departed the table.

* * *

"Cain, just kill every one of them." Isabel gripped as a swarm of women headed their way.

"My my, Mistress. How very cruel of you-"

His mockery was cut off instantly as Isabel grabs his collar to yank him close "I am NOT cooking."

"Oh? Are you not capable of such a simple task?" Issac emerged from his tent dressed in tight leathers as opposed to his normal attire which consisted of loose fitting clothes and a cloak. He was in the process of tying up his unruly hair, but paused to giggle "perhaps it would be best then to kill them before her cooking does."

"MISS ISABEL! COME WE MUST GET STARTED! THE MEN ARE VERY HUNGRY!" One of the taller women within the gaggle yelled over to her, as it was her job to condemn her to hell.

"Go, wife." Cain smirked and patted her cheek "I will miss you terribly."

Isabel cursed and tried very hard not to stomp like an immature child on her way to the women, but of course Cain wasn't finished.

"I fully expect a massage later, as your husband will be quite busy with such laborious tasks." He stood then, revealing his own tight fitting leather uniform and sent her a wink.

The woman squealed from such a sight and it took every amount of endurance for Isabel to not bury the demon alive.

 _I'll kill him._

Today was day two on the trip and they had settled in for the evening. What was supposed to be an easy infiltration was becoming an absolute nightmare as the spoiled Mistress had been introduced to the aspect of _teamwork_. Women were condemned to prepare breakfast, lunch and supper whereas the men were tasked to set up camp, hunt, and anything in between. However, the women worked much longer then the men did due to the surplus of them and it was maddening.

Isabel was grinding her teeth harder than the mill in her hands when she felt she was being watched. She looked up fully expecting Cain to be taunting her and for once she wished it was.

The eerie man from the tavern was leaning against a tree and it was obvious he was watching her, almost studying.

"Miss Ib, your dropping spices…" one of the shyer girls said, reaching over to touch Isabel's hand to steady her. The girl followed the stare upon the disturbed woman, and noticed the man staring at them.

"He looks at you as if you are food… You must tell your husband, Ib."

"Tell me what?" Cain appeared, as if called and moved to stand behind his Mistress. He brought his hands out and blocked her sight, the man vanishing behind the bare palms of her fictitious husband. The emblem glittered in front of her eyes and she looked up to meet his gaze. "Hello, love."

Pain stirred within the center of her chest and she averted her gaze, but Cain continued to move his hands to cover her eyes, hovering only centimeters before her irises. It was then that Isabel noticed that Cain had yet to touch her. He had been playing along as their roles dictated, but he had stayed true to his promise. Every time he would appear to grab her, there was air between those caresses, affections, and embraces. She was disgusted by the disappointment she felt with each failed touch.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and play, I must return. We are going to scout. Footprints were found close by." Isabel looked up and Cain nodded to her, silently inferring a deeper message.

"Who will be going?" She asked in an attempt to confirm what she suspected.

"The hired hand and most of the men; however, some will stay to continue working." Cain appeared serious "please be careful." He leaned down then and appears to kiss her cheek, but it was only an excuse to whisper a word into her ear.

"Now."

* * *

Isabel stumbled to her tent, looking ill. She had told the swarm that she felt faint and apologized in order to excuse herself. She narrowed her eyes and saw that there were only two tents when there should have been three. With curiosity she peaked into one of them and glowered when she found Issac wrapped up in his bed roll.

"I thought Cain said you were all going to scout the perimeter."

"I have already done my part in this little charade this evening. It is mine that walks in which they chase… Such a spell requires payment…" Issac yawns, eyes droopy "now, unless you wish to join me, shoo."

Isabel makes a disgusted noise and slaps the tent entrance to enter the other hut. She takes two steps in but freezes when she realizes two bed rolls within.

 _What the hell is he thinking?!_

"I don't have time for this…" She quickly changed into an outfit Cain had obtained when they spoke of this plan. It was relatively simple, the two would create a distraction and she would scout the mercenaries' tents. The demon had flat out refused at first, but Issac had seen reason. It would seem strange for a man to stay at camp in any ideal situation, and they were trying very hard as to not arouse suspicion. After much debate, Cain had agreed regardless of his dislike of the plan.

She slipped out of the tent in her midnight leathers and at the speed of an encroaching lioness, she approached the tents. She chose the closest and slipped inside gently closing the flaps behind her.

The tents were standard. Bed rolls, clothes, spare weapons, and knick knacks unique to the current tenant. She was getting anxious as time passed, worried they would return so her search became more frantic. Clothes flew past her ears as she tossed them without much remorse and because of this she found an envelope. It had been hidden and she silently praised herself for her animalistic behavior. She slipped a finger in to withdraw the parchment, but narrowed her eyes as she attempted to read the note in the darkness. She moved closer to where the moonlight hit the tent the brightest and strained her eyes to see.

 ** _"This mission should be simple._**

 ** _Interrogate merchants and learn of their whereabouts._**

 ** _If they are headed to these areas"_**

Isabel's eyes widened as she saw the route they were taking listed next, in exact words. She continued reading, her heart racing in excitement upon finally finding evidence.

 ** _"Collect them and their merchandise. Further interrogate them to learn if they are puppets or he who holds the strings._**

 ** _If it is the puppeteer, then bring them to us._**

 ** _In the case that it isn't_**

 ** _Exterminate them."_**

"Well well well… What have we here?"

A chill like none other ran up Isabel's spine and she froze in place, her stomach flipping. That voice… She knew that voice. It couldn't be him, there was no possible way it could have been him. Her body painfully turned her head so she could look at the male crawling into the tent behind her.

"I've missed you little one. I was most distraught when you escaped, as I don't 'member setting you free. Now show me my markings, it has been so long since I touched 'em."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Poor Isabel, she just can't catch a break.**

 **Thanks for reading and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Just to let all of you know, this is a very mature chapter.**

 **I don't mean to offend anyone, but this story is very dark so if you wish to skip this chapter I shall summarize what happens in this chapter at the bottom.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A yawn escaped Cain as he watched the men scout around in the darkness like children playing a game of hide and seek. He stretched with lazy motivation as he moved to the back of the group so he could watch each and every one of them. They carried torches and dragged the weak light against the ground trying to find any trace of the creature they were hunting. The demon chuckled as he watched the men move around doing the best they could, but their efforts were only hindering them when their boots drug across the surface therefore covering the tracks instead of finding them. He had to bite his lip to not laugh when one of them yelped in fright because they walked into a bush.

 _Humans are quite amusing I must admit. I wouldn't mind having a few as pets._ Smirking, the demon was about to tap one of the lads on the shoulder to point out the correct path, but the brush of female purring stopped him.

 _I must speak with you, move away from the mortals unless you wish to blow your disguise._

Cain's features grew somber as he walked back until the torches ceased to see the demon. He then turned and walked a mile away from the men until he spoke aloud.

"Come, Lara."

The wind picked up in the small circle of trees and a dark purple rift opened in the center. The figure of Lara the demoness emerged and she was holding her arm to compress a large crimson wound.

Cain snarled and rushed to her to examine the cut "who has done this?"

With eyes glowing, Lara made her report "I had felt uneasy leaving our estate unprotected so I weaved wards around the perimeter of your pet's house in order to sense intrusion. By doing so, I could return home and I am glad that I did. Cain…" Lara grabbed his arm, looking very serious "we didn't kill all of _them._ Enough with this mortal, you must return to your throne and protect your territory."

Cain's features were unreadable as he sorted his priorities. How long would it take to deal with the pest? Time passed differently between this realm and his. The human plane ran on a faster paced timeline then his did, so the errand would have to be quick and right now wasn't exactly the best time for him to leave. He closed his eyes and attempted to feel his Mistress, but it was futile. Unless she felt extreme emotion, she was lost in the abyss of the unknown. Now if she was the only other human present he could find her, but with all the interference it was near impossible. It was times like this he found it maddening that she covered her beckon to him and wore that blasted glove.

"I cannot. I am currently working and cannot leave at this time." Cain's expression was torn, "locate the enemy and send message when you have. I will return as soon as possible."

It was Lara's turn to snarl "Cain! Are you daft?! You are a ruler of hell, not a human servant. Your contract is brainwashing you, my lord and I ask that you see reason." Lara grabbed the demon's hand and brought his palm up. The emblem of his contract shined in the dark and she brought the brand to her cheek, looking up at him in desperation. "Please Cain, return with me. You have no need for another woman, I give you my life and body freely."

Cain's eyes softened and he withdrew his hand to replace it at her own that covered the wound. He leaned down and removed her palm in order to lick the affliction. Blood stained his mouth as he cleaned the stained limb and a moan escaped Lara's throat.

"Go back, Lara. I will return as soon as possible." Cain licked his lips as he stood straight once more with his own crimson lens glowing. "I have utmost confidence in your abilities to hold off such weak creatures." He then turned to leave, not wanting the other men noticing his absence. He didn't get far before dark miasma slammed into his back and sent him crashing into a tree.

"If you cannot see reason, I will _make you._ " Lara then sprinted in the direction of the camp.

 _Ib!_

" _LARA! I COMMAND YOU TO CEASE THIS NONSENSE! DO YOU WISH TO START A WAR AGAINST ME OVER SUCH FLEETING CONTRACT?!"_ A screech that consisted of every pitch of the demon's voice chased the fleeing demoness, but she did not falter in her stride.

"I must do what I must, my lord." She cartwheeled in order to dodge the shadow spikes that erupted from the darkness of the woods. She glowered, understanding the terrain would only assist the shadow demon.

" _Very well, Lara. I shall not hold back."_ With that said a wall rose from the ground and the demoness slammed into it unaware of such a ploy. The wall morphed and created a cage pulsing with dark energy. The large shadow manifestation emerged from the trees, shattering the large wooden umbrellas as it moved. The demon's jaw split open in a grin of razors and it leaned in to breathe the scent of the caged demoness. " _Back down Lara, or I will not hesitate to consume you."_

 _"_ I would rather die than watch you play servant any longer. However, I will not make it that easy." She brought her hands up and miasma gathered around her once more, enveloping the demoness. Before Cain could react the sphere around her exploded. The cage dissipated in a cloud of steam and Cain growled in pain of the attack. The salvageable remnants of the dark material formed a splotchy hand due to the singed missing fragments.

Lara grinned and was about to chastise the demon, but the notion was thought of too soon. The other not burned limb snatched her in its grasp and brought the damsel to the jagged filled orifice.

" _This ends now, Lara."_ The jaw extended and demoness screamed.

 _No… not him… it can't be him…_ Fear like none other stopped the demon in his tracks. The demon's large eyes moved to stare in the direction of the camp in summoning. Isabel was petrified.

"I shall teach you to remain focused at the task at hand!" An unnatural metal plunged into the demon's hand and he screamed in agony. His shadow like nature shrunk in size as pain crippled his throbbing limb. With fluid motion, the demoness snatched the weapon lodged in Cain's hand and brought the saturated weapon to her lips to lick the blade.

Cain brought his pain twitching eyes up to glare at the demoness and hissed "using such pathetic methods to overpower me, harlot."

"Such malice, my lord. Please insult me further if it helps ease the wound in your pride." Blood stained her chest where she had withdrew the weapon resting within her. Weapons grew inside the women of their race as the species had evolved and it was a feature they were all birthed with. Whether it was natural selection or a modification demons were unaware, but it had protected the females against the overwhelming numbers of the male race.

 _NO… don't touch me…_

Cain's eyes sparked and he launched himself at Lara with murderous intent. The two crashed into several trees and managed to coat the bark with varying amounts of their blood.

Miles away, Lara was lifted into the air by her throat with her own weapon pointed at her chest. A grin framed the demon's features as insanity played a role in his lethal game. He ran the point of the dagger down her arm and made sure spell out the word _disobedient_ in correct human cursive. Blood pooled beneath his feet and he chuckled when he stirred to make the liquid stain the ground under his boots.

" _What shall I write on the other, love?"_ Cain smeared the blood of the knife against her cheek and was shocked when Lara began to cry with a smile on her face.

"I ask that you write _servant_ on the other, my lord. I am so happy you have returned…"

Cain made quick work writing her request and then slammed the weapon into her chest. She coughed blood and the liquid stained his face.

" _Then I return this to you and order you to return home until I can punish you further."_ Cain lifted a hand and again the air split to reveal that purple void. He tossed the bleeding creature into it and closed his eyes as he began to sprint towards the camp.

Through the adrenaline he was not able to understand the importance of why he could no longer feel his lady's fear, but when he opened the tent he believed she resided in the reason presented itself.

Isabel lay sprawled out within covered in blood. Her clothes were shredded and wounds littered the inside of her legs where blood had smeared showing she had fought her attacker. The abused limbs now sagged on the floor, defeated and open.

Cain kneeled down to grab her wrist as terror laced into his thoughts and he found he needed clarification before anything else. His heart sung a song of relief when he felt the faint thrum of her pulse against his fingers. His eyes then searched the rest of her for other signs of wounds.

A gag lay near her mouth and blood coated her lips showing more evidence of her struggle. He reached up and touched her face with his unaffiliated hand to bring her eyes to meet his. The once bright and ferocious violets now had dulled and become apathetic.

"Mistress… I am here." Cain reached to cradle her but stopped when he noticed a collar about her throat. It was connected to a silver chain and he found himself following the metallic links until his eyes landed on the man sitting in the corner smoking.

"I suggest you fuck off, mate." The man said, with a grin. "You married something of mine and I'd hate to kill ya over a broad, but if you insist on taking her back then I'll have t'a." Cain's eyes narrowed as he allowed his lens to examine the key features of the man. He held a knife coated with blood and his pants were loose. That was all the demon required before he smiled.

"Shall we step outside and talk about this?" Cain held his glamour perfectly as he opened the flap to exit the tent. He remained holding it, waiting for the man to follow him.

"If we must" the man crawled over to Isabel to lean down and lick her cheek. "I'll be back, pet." The woman remained still and lifeless and the demon smiled wider as the man exited.

"Where would you like me to kill you?" The man stretched once outside, but gawked as Cain stood there unaffected to his threats, smile still on his face. The dagger rose, aimed at Cain and the man growled "not sure what you're finding so goddamn funny mate, but I'll make quick work of your cocky attitude."

"Oh, I challenge you to do so." Cain brought up his mutilated hand and craned the one working finger in a beckoning motion.

The man barked a laugh "what the devil happened to your hand? Did you coat it in acid? This will be even easier then I had first believed." His foot angled and he launched himself at the awaiting demon.

Cain sighed in pleasure as his glamour ripped from him revealing the swarming shadowlike tentacles streamlining toward the approaching mercenary.

"The hell?!" He went to slam his heels into the ground but each of his limbs was entangled in the dark squirming appendages. Then like a fish, the man was reeled in like prey.

"Yes, hell indeed mortal ant. Come, I shall show you to your new _home."_ Again that purple rift opened and when the man went to scream one of the dark snakes entered his mouth to silence him. "Now now, this is a secret between the two of us and none other." Cain chuckled as he watched the man cry in fear and without further hesitation he entered the void with his prey. The rift shut and wind stirred with none the wiser.

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **SO, here is the summary. Lara comes to tell Cain that when they eradicated the previous 6th lord's sector, they missed one. She attempts to make Cain return home, but when he refuses because of Isabel she gets mad insane and threatens to kill her. They fight, but Cain is distracted as he feels Isabel's fear from afar. He becomes wounded but is able to subdue Lara and send her back to the planes of hell in order to deal with her later. He then rushes off to help his mistress but finds that her she has been assaulted by the man in the tent. Cain angered leads the man from the tent in order to grab him full demon mode. One entangled, the demon takes him to hell where it is insinuated he will now live in torment with the demon lord.**

 **I always meant for this story to be dark, as that is the genre I enjoy writing so again I apologize if any of this offended you.**

 **See you all next chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I like this chapter :3**

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"Isabel… wake up." Cain sat in their tent and held his Mistress secure in his arms. He had returned not too long ago and had made his way to collect her from the other hut. Isabel had not stirred since his absence and it troubled him. Her eyes were still open and dull, staring at the world with dead eyes.

Upon lifting her Cain had noticed what looked like powder on her lips, sprinkled in her hair, and debris littered around her head. He collected some and brought it to his nose, but even doing so he couldn't tell what the substance was. It smelled odd and the demon's gut knew whatever it was had assisted the man in his rape.

 _I have never brought a toy home, but I will make sure this one does not break easily, as I have much planned for him._

On his way back with his cradled Mistress he had kicked the tent that neighbored his, stirring the body inside.

"Go away, whoever you are." The cranky voice from within called, not up for company.

"Either you exit that tent freely or I will burn you out." Cain growled, counting to five in his head, but considering burning it down anyway. On three Issac stepped out of his tent in his normal attire of flowing robes, but it was obvious it was a rushed effort.

"I know you are aware how much energy it takes to-"the man cuts himself off when he notices Isabel's limp body. "What has happened…?"

Cain's eyes burned in the dark moonlight "she was assaulted. I have taken care of the swine, but I need your assistance on figuring out what this powdery residue is on her. I am not keen on mortal herbs and medicinal chemicals."

Issac moved forward and ran a finger over her lip to collect a sample. After collecting a small amount on his fingertip he brought the dust to his nose to smell it. He narrows his eyes and takes another whiff, trying to place it. With a grimace, his tongue pokes at the dust and his eyes widen. He slaps the remaining power on his cloak, discarding it.

Issac then turns to look up at Cain with a serious expression "this is a rare form of anesthesia, Cain. The small amount I just ingested will soon numb my tongue and I'm not sure what else so I'll make this quick. I'm not sure how much she was forced to digest, but a human has their limits against such drugs."

Cain's eyes widened and he brought his horrified lenses to look down at the slumped woman in his arms. Her eyes still held no life within them, but the demon felt her pulse. She lived now, but would she remain so? Arms tightening, he addressed Issac once more "how can I help her?"

Issac frowned, looking grim "there is nothing we can do for her, besides be there with her if she passes."

" _NONSENSE!"_ The demon roared at the man, his glamour slipping by revealing the trashing shadow tentacles. They stretched and slithered until they completely surrounded the three. " _Give me a better answer, Necromancer or I shall send you to rest with your experiments."_

"Cain, there is no answer for your question. You must do as we humans do. Hope."

So that is what the demon did, he sat there holding Isabel close to him and hoped. He reached for the cloth in the bucket he had next to him and ringed it from the excess water. The water was growing cold so he threw the cloth back in and pointed his gnarled hand at it. Flame sparked to life and surrounded the pale. After a few seconds he extinguished his flame and reached for the cloth again. Grinning, he brought the now perfect temperature cloth to her face and proceeded to clean her. He had already cleaned and dressed the wounds between her legs which he was grateful she slept through. Mentally he had prepared to spar with her if she were to awake during such an act, but she had not and every second she continued to remain unconscious worried him.

"Isabel, you must get up or have your grown tired of your game?" Cain spoke to her while looking her in the eyes, but no signs of recognition or reaction stirred within the dull violets. An odd feeling stirred within the demon and in result he grew angry. He leaned down to growl at her "Wake up, human. You owe me your eternity and I expect you to pay in full. I shall not allow you to pass so easily, so wake up before I force you."

Dead eyes stared back at him.

Panicked, Cain reached for Isabel's wrist and his heart leaped in his throat. Had it grown weaker? His teeth ground against each other as he chewed on this unfamiliar emotion and he found himself curling into her, his soul mingling with hers.

"Ib, if an apology was enough to restore you from this state then I would allow my mouth to dry in agony from the regrets, but I am sorry" Cain's voice cracked as he brought his cheek to her chest in order to listen to the soft thump within. He remained there intoxicated by the sound of her life still inside her until light from the early dawn interrupted him. It had been hours and yet it had felt like minutes. He rose to look at Isabel and found that her eyes were now closed. Was that good or bad? Cain's eye twitched in annoyance by how little he understood humans.

 _I shall have Issac watch over her and I will obtain texts on the human body and medicine. She will not die, we have a contract._ The demon set Isabel down on her bed roll and was about to stand up when her hand grabbed his. A spark lit within him as he turned back to focus on the stirring woman. Her hand remained on his and the other was following suit by grasping the sheet beneath her. Next her face began to twitch to life and with effort she opened her eyes. Her deep amethyst orbs in drowsy stupor ran the length of the tent until she locked onto Cain. Her eyes widened then and her features crumbled.

"Why… why didn't you come?" tears welled in her eyes and her voice shook with heartbreaking intensity. She curled her body into her, but as soon as her legs came in contact with each other she stopped as pain shot through her. It was not only physical pain that tormented her senses, but the memories of how they were obtained as well.

Before Cain could answer, Isabel started shrieking and clawing above her as if someone was on top of her. "STOP! STOP! PLEASE STOOOP!"

Pain clenched the demon's sternum and he shot forward to restrain her, bringing her close to him. Nails raked through his flesh, but he didn't flitch as he found each sting of pain a reminder that his lady _lived._ Cain brought a hand to her mouth in order to diminish her volume so that they did not have to deal with the camp's presence. She may have awoken Issac, but that didn't matter.

"Ib, I am here. I have taken care of your attacker and I ask that you calm yourself. I know you are stronger than this, come back to me." Cain moved to talk soft words into her ear not wanting to alarm her. She continued to trash and scream against his hand.

"I can still feel his hands on me…" Isabel choked on a sob and shivered in terror as her weaker side surfaced.

The demon's eyes glowed, another method presenting itself "no, Mistress. The hands you feel now are that of your loyal servant's." He shifted her so he could hold her hands with one of his own and brought the other to brush her bangs back. He followed the motion to circle her head down to the nape of her neck and brought it to cup her cheek. Her eyes moved to look at the demon and she watched as his features softened.

"Allow me shatter such a horror by replacing it with pleasure and bliss purely your own. I can do this much, Ib. Fight the darkness with light rich with ecstasy, love."

Cain's eyes returned to their neutral crimson, watching her with pained eyes. He as a demon wanted to comfort this human woman. He wanted to coddle her, hold her, nuzzle her, and consume her. However, this consumption was so much different than the typical definition he had known his entire life. A sigh sounded into his head as he came to terms with his feelings toward this creature. He wanted this human as a lover and it disgusted him.

"…do it, Cain."

The demon's eyes widened, shocked by her acceptance. "Are you sure, Ib?"

"You are much too formal with your lady, demon." Violets sparked as a portion of his Mistress fought the terrors that clung to her. "Do not disappoint me, Cain."

The momentary disgust the demon had felt contorted until the demon smiled with delightful challenge.

"I promise you, my Lady Isabel. After I am done weaving such bliss you will barely remember who you are or that time continues to move."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Um, so... I plan to just gloss over the steaminess, because I have ZERO experience writing... scenes like that. :3**

 **You give me tortue, pain, and creepy. GOT IT.**

 **Steamy sex scenarios? NOPE.**

 **However... if it is requested... I'll just leave that there.**

 **If I get nothing, then gloss will happen! :D**

 **Well, on that awkward note, SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER!**


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter yet again is MATURE, more so then the last one with this message. **

**It contains sexual content and darker themes that have been hinted in this story.**

 **Again, I shall summarize at the bottom if you wish to skip or grow uncomfortable.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Sheets soft as satin engulfed Isabel as the demon set her down upon the large bed that he called his own. The room Cain had taken them too was unknown to her world as the lighting was far too dim and unnatural to her mere human eyes. The single fireplace along the backside of the room could not manage to light up the entire area, but somehow it managed as no other candles lined the chamber.

That same odd fire she believed was responsible for the source of heat in the room, but how could such a small flame create such a pleasurable temperature?

"Might I say that I thoroughly enjoy watching you attempt to understand my realm, Ib." Cain's crimson eyes contrasted in the low light as the glowing pools watched his Mistress's face. She lay sprawled out before him and she had clutched the thick fabric in order to bring the soft silk closer to her, allowing it to drag across her skin. The ebony fabric began to cover her exposed flesh and with it a sense of excitement filled the demon. He would get to unwrap her like a present and his fingers itched to do so.

"At last, I am in hell" Isabel's faint murmur interrupted the demon's senses and compelled him to draw closer. He slipped his hands under her slim torso in order to push her to the center of the bed so her limbs were not spilling off the sides. Once there, he positioned himself above her and brought one of his free hands to touch her cheek gently.

"Yes, as a lord of the domain, I have spirited you away for the evening as it would be most meddlesome if there were interruptions this night. Rest assured Ib, I shall return you to your rightful place as Lady Crane once we have explored the terrors that linger behind your eyes." Cain's warm breath brushed against her senses and her body shivered in a much different intensity then she was accustomed too. The response was not driven by fear, but the reaction was all the same as her body became hyper aware of the male now straddling her. The prickling on her skin was unpleasant in the way that it now craved the male's touch in impatience. Where it had once been repulsive and revolting, the touch now felt exciting and necessary.

"I ask your permission to explore your mind and soul Ib, what say you my lady?" Cain's eyes watched hers, awaiting her approval.

Isabel appeared conflicted; fighting a battle within her heart "you would ask my permission?"

The continual gentle caress of his fingertips upon her cheek was the only answer she received. Her eyes closed and she moved until her face filled the demon's large hand.

"I give you permission, Cain."

A gentle smile framed the demon's face and he shifted his weight so he could bring his free hand to his heart. "I am still your faithful servant or have you forgotten?" The hand moved away from his chest and went to cradle the other side of her face and the two in unison brushed up into her hair to curl into her soft mane. Next his face moved until their lips nearly touched and when he spoke it made their lips move in unison due to the close proximity. "However… I wish to be more."

The soft touch of his lips played against hers in a gentle kiss and in no way was it commanding. It was her acceptance and own greed that allowed the demon to further explore the inside of her mouth. Her tongue touched his and her mind purred in pleasure by how different the newly grown limb felt against hers. Before it had been sharp and controlling, but now it was soft and comforting. In a sound that resembled a moan Isabel stated the obvious "it grew back."

Cain chuckled against her lips sending rivulets of pleasure through her body "yes, I would appreciate if you did not remove it again. Whilst it grows back, speaking becomes a chore. Then again…" Cain swirled his tongue in a way that made her body arch into him "it would be a delightful challenge to be only able to speak to you in this way. A way in which only lovers speak" the demon reclaimed her lips and once more their tongues danced in passionate hunger. Small flashes of color speckled her vision behind her closed lids and the demon with casual elegance only allowed her to break contact in order to moan in her pleasure. Cain withdrew her lower lip into his mouth and bit it with a gentle brush of his teeth. Isabel gasped and glared down at him which made the demon pull inches away to smile at her.

"Eyes open now, love. You must witness this with your mind and soul." Cain removed his hands from her hair and trailed a finger down the center of her body. He started at her throat and dragged the gentle tip down to region a bit lower then her navel. The movement split the sheet in which she had covered herself and now a porcelain line of her skin was reveal in stark contrast to the ebony sheets.

"I ask your permission to witness your grand beauty Ib, what say you my lady?"

Isabel's air hitched in her throat as she gazed up at the demon watching her. She had expected him to be smug and toy with her the entire time, but his expression shocked her. Never had she witnessed the demon so gentle and humanlike. There was an emotion in his eyes that expressed a sentiment deeper then lust or need, but she could not place it or would not place. Each minute that passed as she stared at him, the space her heart had reserved for Cain began to grow.

"I give you permission Cain."

Cain then proceeded by grabbing each side of the sheet and slid the silk against her skin until none of it clung to her. Once the cover was removed the demon made an effort to undress her from the scraps of her clothing that still remained after the attack.

Tears stung at the woman's eyes as she watched the demon move her in gentle movements as to not hurt or further startle her. She had long forgotten the wounds she had received that night, but the demon had not. Each of her legs was then lifted as he slid the cloth down the length of the wounded flesh and shifted to raise the other all in order to not harm her. This gentleness was tearing the impenetrable wall she had built around her heart to pieces.

"Stop…" tears stained her cheeks and glistened against her flesh. "…please."

Cain considered her for a second and then he was lifting her from the bed to roll them so he could cradle her to him. The pillows stacked themselves behind him so they could be elevated and he curled her into his chest with a hand on her head. With slow movements he began to pet her and after a few minutes of this soothing routine he leaned forward to whisper into her ear.

"Cry love; release the pain that holds you, that controls you. Allow it to flow and accept your past so you can _live_ the present." He then kissed the top of her head and remained there nuzzling her hair.

"I want to heal you, Ib. Allow me to help you."

Frozen, Isabel stared into the demon's chest and pressure yet again built behind her eyes. Her lids refused to blink knowing that if she did the tears would be endless. Would she return back to that crying child, quivering and shaking in the dark? Would she become that groveling soul that yearned for other's approval yet again? Or would she lose all hope and attempt to take her life, a path she had considered so many times in the past.

" _Please,_ Isabel." Cain whispered into her ear and kissed her temple.

Tears leaked from her strained eyes and when she blinked, her eyes remained closed in order to push the tears she had suppressed from that time, from those awful times.

She felt her eyes open, but the images she saw weren't that of reality or at least not of the present. The room was much darker than it was before and it had drastically shrunk in size. The floor beneath her began to rattle and the sound of cantering horses suggested she was on the move.

 _"Where are you Isabel?"_

She recalled the memory then, "I'm in a carriage. The men from earlier… they came back for us. They killed the rest and stole us from the orphanage…" her voice sounded within her head rather than from her lips, leaving her to feel surreal in her own memories. She felt the ragged rocking diminish in intensity and then the carriage stopped. The doors opened and light flooded the small cabin, blinding the child contained within. She brought a hand to her eyes and when they adjusted she found that she was blocking the rays of a sunset whilst standing in a courtyard.

 _The Sunset, I have forgotten how much I despise it..._ She now recalled why the large stereotypical beauty made her feel uneasy as another repressed memory slipped from her grasp. Her head turned and confirmed her suspicion.

A man in his early forties was approaching her like a predator and lechery excreted from him. He had a satchel with him and upon witnessing that familiar bag her stomach flipped.

 _"Who stands before you Isabel?"_

The man had reached her and began to talk to her, but the man spoke no sound; however, she knew exactly what he was saying.

"Lawrence Ainsworth, my first master…" when she recalled the man's name it brought a smile to his face and one of his hands dived into his pack to retrieve a blindfold. He flourished the cloth and then began to wrap it around her eyes. Darkness yet again engulfed her and when the blinding cloth was removed, she wished it had remained.

"I was a child…" Isabel's voice cracked as her body was forcibly rocked from the man behind her. Hands reached up and rubbed her down in order to spread the awful smelling oil he had loved so much. It held two purposes; one was for her to remain flawless and smooth as Lawrence was obsessed with the soft skin of children, and the other reason was to coat regions that fought his domination. Through the tears in her eyes it was hard to make out much in the room, but there was one thing that remained perfect and solid: The moon.

The moon could be seen from a small hole in the roof of the barn Lawrence would take her too and it was a beautiful sight. From the angle she witnessed it, one could tell the moon had reached the peak of its height and that meant _he_ would soon retire. Her eyes would remain fixated to that opening until the moon rose to fill it and he would then wrap her up in the sheet he had molested her on in order to carry her back to her locked chambers.

Nightmares would plague the few hours she was allowed to slumber and then she would be forced awake by Lawrence's awful ignorant Mistress in order to start her day tasks as a servant girl. The tasks would consist of cleaning, fetching, and bowing with perfect manners. All of which she would do whilst knowing Lawrence lurked at corner of her vision. This hell repeated for four years and it only ended because she had grown too _old_ to interest the monster.

 _"Lawrence Ainsworth will suffer an unending purgatory of agony, Isabel. I swear it."_

She found herself quivering and sobbing with pain as air became difficult to breath from the constriction in her chest. When she found herself clenching the material of Cain's shirt, relief flooded her. She had returned to the present, leaving those morbid memories to dwell in the darkest part of her mind and it was then that she brought her head up to express how thankful she was to the demon only to find it was not Cain she clung to, but that of Mordecai.

"Forget about me already, did'ja?" A slow sadistic smile spread on his face as firm arms locked around her. "Now say my name like a good girl or shall we see how far the cut runs this time?"

That same pain that had centered at her chest now exploded in burning heat as the man ran a hunter's knife down her body, creating a bloody trail in its wake. She began to scream, but the man covered her mouth to silence her.

 _"Who now stands before you, Isabel?"_

"Mordecai, he was my second master. I can... still hear his voice." Isabel's voice sounded less like an echo and more physically vocal. She looked around then, confused that she now stood in infinite darkness. The weightlessness she felt in the empty space was comforting and she was content on staying there forever if fate would permit it. As if on que, the room began to lighten and the relaxing sensation turned out to be her ever faithful servant carrying her down a flight of stairs. He stared down at her with an unreadable expression.

"You can still hear him because he is here and I am currently taking you to him. I wish for you to witness firsthand the power you have obtained and now hold because you have experienced torment that should have driven you mad, but yet here you are Ib." Cain's voice wrapped around her like the thickest blanket in the dead of winter and she gazed up into his glowing red eyes.

"You saw it…"

"No, dear one... I _felt_ it" the demon paused to open the door now in front of them "and now so shall he."

Inside revealed what could be best described as a torture chamber. Tools stained from their previous victims hung from the walls and large intricate instruments littered the perimeter. Remains still clung to some of the machines, but they ceased to hold Isabel's attention once she noticed the man chained to the back wall.

His neck held his head limp as blood trickled from his wrists and ankles, showing he had struggled in the restraints.

"What say you, my lady?"

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **This had to be broken into two parts, otherwise my brain will blow up. -**

 **Steam is yet to come. I found it is very difficult to write, but I enjoy the challenge.**

 **Readers, if you can, please let me know if things are hinted too much and not revealed enough. It is meant to be foggy as I am trying to express foggy memories, but I don't want you to be lost either.**

 **Let me know if you can. Thank you!**

 **See you next chapter!**

 **Summary : So in this chapter, Isabel and Cain get very intimate and through this the demon is able to surface her surpressed memories. This chapter explains Isabel's past, and why she is the way she is. There is alot of hinting and fogginess as memories from such young ages are hard to recall but they are dark regardless of how Isabel tries to forget. She held two masters: Lawrence Ainsworth and Mordecai. The first was a pedophile who bought her as a servant girl and a night sex toy. Once she had grown to the age of 15, the man sold her because she was much too old from him now. After which she was then presumably sold to Mordecai. Not much detail goes into Mordecai other then the fact that he created the scars on her body as a symbol of disobedience. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for such a late posting.**

 **I have been living at work and stress has had its way with me.**

 **Again, Mature chapter. Mild violence and sexual themes.**

 **I made compromise to steam. :3**

 **Enjoy!**

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"Put me down, Cain." Isabel demanded and Cain's amusement died. The deceased emotion was replaced by a mix of worry and rebellion.

"I would prefer not to, my lady. You're in no condition to be walking as of yet."

"I can walk for this. Do not deny me, demon." Isabel at last tore her eyes from the sagged man to smile at Cain and malice all but dripped from the madness that swirled in her violets. The demon knew his Mistress was lost in her hatred, but only she could pull herself from it. The pieces had all been set and Isabel would play them as she would see fit.

Cain sighed in annoyance and chided her as he set her down on her feet "wounds cannot heal if you strain them."

"Don't you tell me how the human body works, devil" karma in the form of instant pain shot up her legs as soon as she stood. She cringed and gripped Cain's arms as she fought her legs from buckling in shock. Deep breaths were inhaled and released as she gathered herself once more and turned towards the captive. Her back straightened and her body moved with perfect elegance as she strode across the room, naked besides the sheet lazily wrapped around her. Blood began to slide down her legs and fall upon the floor, but the expression on her face disregarded any interruption. The tail of the satin cloth dragged through the spilled crimson and stained the fabric.

 _My macabre bride…_ Cain forced himself to remain where he stood regardless of how his body craved to take his Mistress. She had accepted him and yet they were down here. The demon sighed from his mental and physical frustration he had suffered in order to suppress his lust for Isabel, but his mind didn't function properly when the woman cried in weakness. So instead of ravishing her until she lost sight of the present, he had _comforted_ her, but in order to do so he needed to know what scars she bore.

He had expected that horrible experiences molded the woman, but he had underestimated the cruelty humans could exert. After experiencing the quick hell that was Lawrence Ainsworth he didn't believe life could get much worse for Isabel, but the horror she felt for the man she now walked towards didn't even compare. Her fear had be raw and her mind had even refused to comprehend the man could be in her proximity. She had even forgotten the demon's existence in her terror and that annoyed him.

So, what would she do now that Cain had wrapped this little present for her?

"Mordecai…" Isabel purred as she leaned down to caress under the man's chin in order to pull his head up "wake up, it's time to play." When the man didn't stir from her rousing she brought her other hand to his face and the two in unison flanked either side and jerked. She brought his face close to hers "WAKE. UP. NOW."

Lazy eyes opened and he grinned at her "Ello, love." Disgusted, she spat in his face which made him growl in anger "you bitc-"the man's words caught in his throat as an unnatural elongated shade stretched behind Isabel to quiver its massive head in his direction. Fear gutted his insides as those massive red pools stared into him and he knew body and soul that whatever that creature was, it intended to consume him and would aide his former pet in any way it could.

Isabel smiled and released the man's face in order to reach her limbs high "I see you have met Cain, my faithful servant" the large shadow manifestation grinned razors back at the man in a disturbing greeting. "How does it feel to be at the mercy of a _monster?"_

Isabel spread her fingers and Cain screeched like the hellish fiend he was. The room shook from the intensity and lighting flickered as the demon slide sideways to stand beside the man. Mordecai turned his head to find the creature, but it was gone. Panic filled his stomach, where had it gone? While he was distracted he didn't notice the knife before Isabel set it at his forehead. The man froze as he realized the blade was that of his hunting knife.

"Apologize for your sins you animal." The blade dug into his forehead and Isabel leaned in to cup her ear at him.

His ego rose at the sign of mockery "fuck you, harlot. I enjoyed every second I ruined ya'"

Isabel's eyes flashed and she prepared her body to use all her strength in order to push the knife in, but a familiar shadowlike tentacle wrapped around her hands to stop the force. Another appendage circled her neck in a loose knot and the tip pointed at her ear.

 _"Do not rush, love. Once he is dead, you can no longer toy with him as he did with you. Enact your revenge_ _and saver his suffering. I am at your disposal, use me as you wish."_ A slight representation of Cain's voice spoke from the appendage from origins unknown. She turned her head to stare at the shadowy limb and blinked at it several times.

"I did not know you held this ability" Isabel stated through the faint echoes of Mordecai's screams of agony as one could guess the blade had begun its decent.

The appendage contorted as it grew a single red eye and mouth _"there is still so much about me you have yet to learn, love."_

Shivers ran up and down her spine at how true that statement was. What did she know of the demon? She knew he was some kind of a lord, but didn't understand exactly how that worked. Lara was an accomplice… or was she more? He had stated she was not a current lover, but had the woman been previously? How old was Cain?

"I'M SORRY!" The scream of torture found its way back to the english language and spoke the command in which the man believed would end the knife's descent. It paused right above his groin as the outburst interrupted the woman's thoughts.

Isabel returned her attention back to the man and she found that the power he had once held over her emotions and being had vanished. After witnessing his utter weakness she found the man bored her, much like a cat with a crippled insect, and she simply wanted him gone. "You are a pathetic creature, Mordecai. You have only suffered one scar as opposed to the multiples I have suffered from you're hand and already you weep like a child. You are not worthy of my attention nor shall you affect me any longer." Isabel dropped the knife and yawned in boredom "Cain, I have a question for you."

 _"Yes my lady?"_ The large shadow manifestation fell from the roof and landed behind her. Within seconds his glamour reinstated itself and he stepped the few feet in order to draw the woman's back against him "you should not be standing."

Isabel shrugged off his input "I suppose a demon would know of a fate worse than death." She laid her head on his chest and looked up at him, her amused violets shining.

A smile curves his mouth, "is that an order, Ib?"

"It is a request and an opportunity to understand you better, demon. You may do as you wish." Isabel stated and returned her gaze to the pathetic sobbing heap that was Mordecai, expecting her demon to delight her.

"As you wish, I shall engage in what humans call _free will."_ The demon then without further hesitation lifted Isabel up and turned to exit the room.

"Wai-What?! Cain, what are you doing?!" Isabel clambered up the demon's shoulder to look back at the slumped man expecting him to explode, but no such display appeared. "You would leave him living?"

A smile and an intense gaze forced Isabel speechless "no, I plan to have the most delightful of evenings as I have been ordered to 'do as I wish'. First I shall ravish my Mistress thoroughly as I have met many human women in my lifetime, but none can compare to how deeply I desire you." The woman withdrew air in order to scold the demon, but he brought a finger to her lips in an act of interruption. "Do not fret, once you have grown weak from ecstasy, I shall return to this very basement in order to consume him as no fate is worse than a demon ripping out one's essence in greed."

* * *

Images blurred as Isabel gazed at the ceiling and allowed her head to slide sideways, the movement feeling natural. She could hear the sound of the crackling fire and assumed the mess of orange across the room was the source. Movement below her caused her eyes to widen and the flames brightened in color and intensity. A cool hand snatched her chin and ripped her eyes from the fire. Her vision then was obscured by Cain's naked chest and what a lovely sight it was.

"You wound me, Ib. If you continue to be distracted at such useless details the room holds, then I shall shroud us in darkness so you may focus." The demon released his hold at her face and slid his fingers down to her chest. "Or perhaps I shall bring pleasure to much closer regions." His head dipped and his mouth found its way to her breasts.

"You are so-" whatever she was about to say died instantly as his tongue swirled over her own naked flesh. Her back arched against her will and breathing became very difficult.

"Your body is but a virgin to pleasure, love. You never cease to amuse and thrill me."

Isabel found a gap through her buzzing libido in order to glare at the smug demon, but when she found him looking up at her in turn she forgot how to glare. How did one glare? A smirk, and then the blasted demon took one of her tightened nipples into his mouth.

A harsh moan escaped her throat and her eyes closed from the intense pleasure that a simple lick and nibble brought her. Those same speckles of color danced behind her lids and that's when she realized an important fact.

Her past no longer haunted her. The voices that would typically grate at her patience ceased their constant rambling and the horrific images of brutality and abuse dulled in comparison to the spectacular dancing orbs of light. The colors extinguished each terrible experience and when her mind would recall a haunting memory it would be adjacent to a more recent experience. One side would portray the horrible pedophile, but the other would show her the demon teaching her to dance. Then it would shift and one side would portray her being locked into a cage to be prodded with sharp instruments, but then the other would recall a time when she had snuck into Cain's bed chambers in order to braid his hair with flowers.

Pure laughter poured out of the woman as she reached down to cup the demon's face with both her hands. She found Cain watching her with an expression of confusion, but that only made her laugh more. After she motioned him close he moved to follow her direction and the two in result held their lips mere inches apart.

"I think I might be in love with a demon. How tragic…" it was then that Isabel moved forward and claimed the demon's lips.

Cain's eyes remained open as his Mistress kissed him. His mistress had kissed him upon her own desire and had confessed such a weakness to him. It wasn't the first time a woman under contract with him had spoken of their love for him; however, it was the first time Cain had ever craved the sentiment. Her tongue brushed against his and he decided further analysis could wait until later.

What had started as a sweet gesture had ignited into hungry passion. The two fought each other as each attempted to dominate the other, but with a swift motion Cain grabbed Isabel's wrists and brought them above her head.

"You must stop, love. Allow me to lead as I do not wish to hurt you-"

"Fuck hurting me, idiot. Let me go!"

"I will _not_ harm you, Ib." Cain's expression appeared stern, but that only made the woman chuckle.

"Out of curiosity if I was to order you-" a blur of motion and the feeling of heat near her groin was her only explanation for the wave of pleasure that hit her. Her body arched again and she yelled out in bliss.

"I always remain several steps ahead, Ib." One of his hands weaved the web of pleasure in her lower region and the other began to play with her chest as if she were a tuned piano and her voice the harmony. His head dipped and hot breath splashed against her neck "it was a good try, love."

Isabel mumbled something intangible in her chorus of pleasure so the demon stopped toying with her breasts momentarily to allow her some words. When she smirked, he knew he had made a mistake.

In rapid speed, the woman made her order "I order you to take me as a human male would a woman. Enough with this slow torture!"

Cain growled, annoyed his game was ending. He licked her neck and whispered over a mouthful of her ear "as you wish, Isabel."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **I can't handle steam, I am ashamed in myself. T-T**

 **So I made a compromise and did some, but faded to black towards the more intense scene.**

 **I tried! lol!**

 **I needed more time to research, but then again I just am not comfortable with it as of yet. One day! One day...**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi there, its been awhile huh? Got super distracted with Atoned yet Incomplete. -**

 **BUT WE ARE BACK AND STUFF IS COMING!**

 **Not like a wrecking ball though... get that crane out of here, right meow.**

 **Alright, enough randomness, ENJOY!**

* * *

"Is Lady Isabel alright?!" The gaggle of women circled the white haired man as he approached the center of the camp. He brought his hands up and chuckled at them while mentally groaning from having to make an appearance when all he wanted to do was remain in the tent with his sleeping Mistress. After their night of passion, Isabel had fallen deep into slumber and the demon could tell by the woman's stillness and her expression that she was experiencing a pleasant dream, one of which Cain guessed was one of her first.

"Yes, she is sleeping now after feeling ill from the other night. I appreciate all of your concerns and I am sure you understand that she will not be able to help you this morning, so I am here to replace her." Cain smiled and spread his arms "what can I assist you ladies with?"

The squeal of ecstatic women followed, but the near deafening screeches did not bother the demon. Nothing much did at the moment and Cain wondered how long this emotion of euphoria would last. The women dragged the demon over to their stations and each fought for the man's attention.

"Please assist me with peeling the potatoes-"

"If you could help me with this pot, it-"

"You must try this!"

The demon moved from task to task, but when offered to taste anything the man would reply "I am much too full, but my thanks." Time passed as he busied his time with carving potatoes and chopping bits of vegetable in order to assist in the chore of making soup. The women had all been chattering most of the morning, but the demon found it comforting like birds and crickets in the woods. Then one bird tweeted in a way that he found himself interested in what they were jabbering about.

"Sudden nausea? If you ask me, that girl has a much bigger problem ahead of her." Cain turned so he could focus his hearing on what the women were gossiping about. Though the sickness had been fictional, the demon appreciated any information about the health and ailment of humans. His knowledge on humans was limited and he had made it a priority to purchase some tomes once they returned home. A once not important race was becoming all the more interesting to Cain and he would obtain any and all knowledge on the creatures.

One of the women perked up and gushed back at the other woman speaking "oh perhaps it is her first child! How precious!"

"Precious? Ha! More monstrous if you ask me, little cretins."

"Quiet Gwen, not everyone detests children like you!" the bubbly woman giggled and elbowed the spiteful elder. They continued to argue, but the demon had stopped listening as a realization hit him like a wave.

Isabel could become pregnant.

A pain stung the demon as worry began to flood him at the prospect. When his eyes finally focused he found that he was staring at the pair of tents that were his companions. He stretched his senses in order to listen to the slow rise and fall of her lungs, the stir of blankets as she stirred in her sleep and moved to a more comfortable position, and the gentle fragrance the women consisted of.

"Cain… um, please take this."

The sound of a timid voice near him caught the demon off guard and he darted his eyes to the source. The woman jumped and whimpered as the bowl in her hands excreted some liquid onto her palms that held it.

"My apologies" Cain reached out and took the bowl from her to set it next to him. He then took her hands and began to wipe them with a cloth he withdrew from his pocket. "I did not know you there."

The woman blushed and looked to the side "it is fine… please, go to your wife now so she may eat and regain her strength." The woman removed her hands from him, taking the cloth "I will return this too you once I have cleaned it."

"Please keep it, as a token of my gratitude for the soup and as an apology for inflicting pain at such a kind gesture." Cain picked up the soup and nodded at the girl before walking back to his tent at a rather rapid pace.

A smile lined the woman's mouth as she watched the man return to his wife. She brought the cloth to her cheeks and said in whisper "my hands hardly burn in comparison to the heat on my cheeks…"

Cain made it to the tent and peaked inside only to glare at the two that were within.

"I believe the men are currently tasked to clean up the site." Cain said, lecturing the silver haired man now sitting next to his sleeping Mistress. When he noticed her head in Issac's lap, Cain's expression darkened.

"Remove yourself from this tent."

Issac brought a finger to his lips and with the other hand he resumed petting the woman's head and it was then that Cain realized the man had been doing this for much longer than just the few minutes it had taken the demon to walk over.

"Quiet, spawn… your lady sleeps now. Unless you wish to wake her" Issac returned his gaze to the woman lying on his thigh.

"Isabel. Wake up." Cain's powerful voice filled the tent and he entered the cramped space. After setting the bowl down near the entrance, Cain took the woman from the man and brought her into his arms. "It is time to wake up, my lady. I have brought you breakfast."

Isabel's eyes fluttered as her conscious broke from the dreams she had been enjoying. The soft caress of satin and the sweet smell of passion remained in her mind's eye as she came back to reality. Two crimson orbs watched her as she opened her eyes and a smile framed the man's features.

"Good morning Ib. How are you feeling?"

The demon's voice echoed against her fading dreams and for the first time in so many years, the woman felt embarrassment. Her hand acted upon its own and reached out to grab Cain's smile. She pushed at the demon and as she did she could feel Cain's face twitch against her palm, but he did not release her. Silence filled the room as the two used equal forces for different purposes and it was a cough that eventually made the two look over at the forgotten man sitting in the corner.

"I am not sure what you two are doing, but I wish to hear the answer your spawn has asked. How are you feeling, my lady?" Issac moved to retrieve the soup from the entrance and with careful movements he brought it over to the couple.

"I'm fine; now let me go. I'm starving." Isabel turned in the demon's arms so her back faced him and began reaching for the soup.

"I see" Cain loosened his grip but didn't release her "please eat; you must regain your strength as you did have an eventful night."

Isabel glared back at the demon leaning over her backside and bit a retort "don't you have more pressing issues to attend too?"

"Oh? Have you orders for me" Cain leaned in within inches of her lips " _my lady?"_

Isabel's face turned pink and she shoved the demon but the idiot didn't budge. She began flailing and soon both men were laughing at her struggle.

"LET. ME. GO-"Isabel had been wiggling free and in result the demon now only held her by her lower abdomen. The pressure of his arms around her empty stomach made her queasy so she made a noise in distress and suddenly the demon released her, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Isabel plopped onto the floor and she rolled so she could face Cain to point a victorious foot in his face. "Finally you…" The frightened expression on the demon had her words dying on her tongue. Concern filled her eyes at the demon's sudden uneasiness "Cain, what is the matter?"

He blinked several times until he found her eyes staring back at him in worried confusion and he forced a smile to his face "nothing, I have forgotten that the two of us were supposed to help the others. Come, Issac. Let us leave our lady in peace as she eats." The demon grabbed the man's shoulder before he could resist and dragged him out of the tent, leaving Isabel to blink in continuing confusion after their departure.

 _Strange._ Isabel shrugged, too hungry to care at the current moment and picked up the bowl to begin eating her food.

* * *

Days passed as the three watched the mercenaries grow more and more confused over their missing leader. The man's absence actually hindered them as the men had ceased their given orders that Isabel had reported. It was frustrating and more so that their leader was immobilized until the cuts between her legs scabbed over.

It was their fourth and final night of the trip when Isabel snuck from her tent in order to stretch her legs. She sighed into the cold air of the evening as her limbs quivered from the missed movement. The moon was rising and with it came the gorgeous moonlight. The gentle light and source had always been beautiful to her, but now a days it was more so. She brought her arms up in a stretch and arched her back to the glowing orb, closing her eyes.

"Temptation soaked in moonlight, how you torment me Mistress." Cain's deep voice made the woman jump and she turned to face him. "I don't believe you should be out of bed."

"I can do as I like, demon. Its suffocating in there, I simply came out to breath the air of the evening." She crossed her arms, daring the demon to shove her back within the tiny hut.

Cain's eyes glowed then as he looked her up and down. Confliction appeared in those mesmerizing orbs as lust and reason fought one another, but latter ended up the leader. Cain bowed then and spoke "I am glad you are well enough to be walking now, my lady. As it seems we may have found a lead, but your services are required, unfortunately."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **This story is actually much longer then I had originally planned, but we shall see it until the end!**

 **Thank you all for following/favoriting/ and your wonderful reviews! I appreciate all of you readers from as we walk this adventure together!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**It has been awhile MAN!**

 **I have returned from my Christmas transition and I needed time to recuperate. It took a lot out of me and the stress has not been helping. Thanks to the stress I had some pretty bad writers block and had even considered only focusing on Atoned to make it easier for me, BUT NAY NAY! I shall continue writing this tale, as Cain has demanded that I continue writing his story as per our agreement- I mean hey! New chapter guys! Wahoo!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"What… are those?" Isabel asked as she kneeled down to examine the tiny balls of hatched fur that surrounded Issac. Cain had escorted her through the dark woods with no explanation, but none was needed after the demon had stated they had found a lead. As of late, conversation between the two had become minimal as both were lost to their own thoughts and at the rate it was going, even eye contact for the lady was difficult. When she looked into Cain's deep maroon eyes, she recalled that night in perfect clarity and her body in reflex would avoid the memory as she didn't have time to be a blushing ninny. So when she saw the odd twitching forms surrounding the necromancer, she was ecstatic for a distraction.

"These are my 'scouts', handy little creatures they are and so easy to rise…" Issac reached out to one and brought it closer to her. Isabel yipped in surprise and fell to her butt in order to distance herself from the unnatural rat in his hands. It had empty eye sockets in which odd patches of fur clung too and the jaw of the creature swung in detachment. Bones poked free of the patches of fur that still remained on the rat and when it rose to stand on its two back feet one of the paws from the front set fell free.

"Burn it! Burn it Cain!" Isabel's quivering tone commanded the demon, whom promptly picked her up and rose a hand to the undead rat. His fingers turned skyward and with a simple motion, he snapped. The odd creature made no sound of distress as its body perished in the orange flame and turned to dust.

Issac grimaced as the ash trickled through his fingers and he raised a brow in annoyance at the demon "must you do everything she says?"

Cain smirked and entwined his fingers with Isabel's to bring up their contracted hands that burned radiantly in the dark "but of course, as we are bound by matters much deeper then your simple human mind can fathom."

The intoxicating scent that was purely Cain wafted against Isabel's cheek as the demon spoke and she found herself pushing the demon away out of pure embarrassment. She envied the demon, that such acts were nothing but whimsical entertainment. Here she was shying away from the demon's gaze and avoiding any sort of physical contact all because she was heart fluttering mess and she detested it. In apparent frustration, she broke their hands and stalked over to Issac to begin lecturing him about the disgusting vermin he called 'scouts'.

The demon tilted his head in confusion, but allowed his mistress to break free of his arms without argument. Crimson glazed eyes watched the woman walk away rigidly and the demon's smile fell from his face. It was frustrating to watch his mistress avoid him and every time she did, it made the demon regret his decision.

 _I think I might be in love with a demon. How tragic…_

Cain smirked and shook his indecision away like it was stagnant water clinging to his face. He moved to join the two and took his rightful place beside Isabel.

"Tell her what your bundles of death reported" Cain motioned to the rats and cringed as one began eating another. A poke to his side made the demon glance down at the woman beside him and found her pointing at the cannibal. A smirk and he snapped his fingers and all of them went up in flame. Isabel smiled and the demon felt satisfied regardless of the sigh of annoyance that broke their intimate silence.

"Those take energy to create, most wasteful…" Issac combed a hand through his silver mane and stood to face Isabel "I have heard that the mercenaries will be returning to their captain due to Mordecai's absence. They leave at dawn, what will you do my lady?"

Isabel narrowed her eyes considering her options and as she was reminded of her purpose on this errand. If the men were headed back to whoever employed them then that would take the three to who sought her out through this elaborate scheme, but the question was… did it matter anymore? She was almost certain whoever was behind this was some rich noble annoyed that she had encroached on Mr. Botley's trade route. Part of her just wanted to send Cain to eradicate them all and it was then that her stomach flipped. Where had her drive gone?

She turned from the men and walked a few steps away in order to gaze up at the moon. The bright moonlight helped relax her senses as she considered her goal. The king, she planned to overthrow him and throw city into anarchy. Once a burning desire now crackled low in her mind as the flame began to die. Her infernal hatred felt so dull in comparison as she recalled the demon's fingers trailing down her skin and those blazing passionate orbs watching. Eyes closing, she brings a hand to her heart and bites her lip as she feels a large portion of resolve start to shatter.

A hand circles her waist and pulls her to face the demon now standing intimately close "what has you troubled, Isabel? I can feel your emotions battling each other, perhaps I could-" Cain is cut short when Isabel lashes out and smacks him with enough force to push his face sideways. Heat colored the abused skin and the demon turned his head to narrow his eyes at her "might I ask what that was for?"

"I thought you promised me you would only touch me when I asked it, and yet here you are fondling me like you own me." Isabel hissed, her defenses rising in an act to wall off her rapid beating heart. "Release me, demon."

Cain continued to hold her while the two glared at each other. It was difficult to understand this woman if he compared her to normal mortal women because if it were any other female, after a night in his chamber they would not be able to resist him. Then there was Isabel, who was more snide and ruthless since that passionate night. He sighed and released the woman with a bow for extra credit "my apologies, Mistress. I will not make it again." Cain looked up expecting to see a smug smile, but when the absolute opposite sat on her features, the demon's hand itched yet again to touch her, soothe her, anything to make that distressful expression vanish. He clenched his fists and turned to walk away to allow her privacy to whatever she was struggling over regardless of his own desires.

"Cain…" Isabel's tone was low, uncertain and the demon paused to glance over his shoulder at her.

"I have to finish my goal, and in order to do that I need to be focused. I am sure you understand." Isabel's face appeared sincere as her eyes shined in the moonlight. A gust of wind brought her hair up in a wave in order to ride the current and Cain's heart clenched. He turned to face her and went down to one knee in order to bow deeply.

"I understand, my lady. Your orders?"

* * *

Blue flame lit up the stone chamber as a couple tumbled into bed in a mix of passion and lust. Nude limbs glistened from the odd light as it caught the sheen of their sweat driven desire. The female rolled the male beneath her and their matching scarlet orbs locked on each other. The man reached up and ran black polished fingers through the woman's platinum curly mane.

"How dare he mutilate such a lovely woman… I shall not sit idly by while he beats you with such detached hostility." The man curls his fingertips around the nape of the woman's neck and brings her closer so she would lie on his chest. Warm slick skin meets his and the demon's blood boils, singing its desire to lose himself in her again. A smile frames his mouth as he drags his fingers through her hair, satisfied he finally bedded the demoness. How he had desired her for years, but she had always stood faithfully behind that damned shadow and always refused his offers, most of the times violently; however, this time she had come to him. She had done so with only quarts of blood still within her system and near death, yet still her eyes burned fierce and lovely.

"He has lost himself…" The woman's soft voice caressed his skin and again his body demanded he engage in another round of passion, but instead he looked down at the top of her head.

"Lost? I cannot imagine Cain being driven from his throne, after only obtaining it."

The woman's head rose and she propped her chin on stippled fingers, looking up at him "he has become weak and now is not the time to be questioning the opportunity. Will you assist me or not, Lucian?" The women's ice blue eyes returned as she nailed the expression of a hopeless woman.

The man smiled an impish expression and he cupped her chin, pulling her up to him "I am sure you can convince me, Lara."

* * *

"As soon as we find their hideout I demand you burn the entire establishment, Cain." Isabel groaned as she stretched her arms above her out of boredom, glancing over her shoulder at the demon seated behind her. "Stop smiling or you'll share a saddle with Issac."

Cain chuckled and moved in order to allow her to stretch with ease "I would just walk, silly mortal. However…" the demon's eyes lowered to where the curve of Isabel's bottom nestled against his groin and he smiled "if you continue to squirm I may be forced restrain you."

Isabel made an irritated noise and jumped from the horse. The demon stopped the steed and scolded his lady for being reckless, but she didn't care as she walked over to Issac mounted atop their other stead. The group had found that traveling with their cart would blow their cover so they had purchased saddles for the large draft horses in order to track and follow the fleeing mercenaries. Isabel had left Cain in charge of parking the carriage and he had bowed with a smirk "It shall be done."

Issac tilted his head and stopped his horse "have you tired of your spawn?"

Isabel reached out a hand with an annoyed expression "just let me on." Issac smiled and reached down to grab her hand and Isabel was shocked by how cold his hand was. He lifted her with ease and set her before him, having curtesy to scoot back enough so they weren't completely meshed against one another. She looked back at him with a concerned expression.

"Your hand is as cold as ice..." Isabel touched her forehead with one of her hands and reached up to compare his to hers, but he reached up to stop her.

"I wish to continue living, so please stop my lady." Issac's eyes glittered as he watched Cain lead his horse over to them. He returned his gaze and squeezed the lady's hand beneath his fingers "rest assured; it is a natural side effect from meddling with the undead. The cold does not bother me and hasn't for some time now."

"Interesting…" Isabel said, fascinated. There was still so much she did not understand about the universe and she felt every answer to the unknown to be intoxicating. She leaned into Issac entranced by his knowledge but stopped when his eyes hardened.

"We have company." Cain said, dismounting his horse and moving beside the two. He pulled Isabel from Issac in order to lift her onto his vacant saddle. His eyes locked with hers and the seriousness on his face demanded she kept quiet and listen "the mercenaries approach, what are your orders?"

Isabel bit her lip as she now could hear the sound of encroaching hoofs. She cursed and glared at the thicket of the forest. "Do you believe we can obtain the information we seek through torture?"

Cain's eyes surveyed the perimeter of the overgrown foliage and frowned "There is not much to these men and I don't believe subjecting them physical abuse will hold any effect. Perhaps psychological, but that would take time for me to find what makes each cower from the light of day." The demon's eyes returned to his mistress and he smirked "what shall we do indeed?"

"Hands up, unless you wish for us to kill ya'" A man upon a chestnut Arabian emerged from the forest and several others speckled all other possible paths of escape.

Isabel sighed and whispered before lifting her hands into the air "play along, do not fight, and await further orders." Once her hands reached skyward she began blubbering and cowering in her saddle.

"Oh please! Don't slaughter us! We are but simple travelers!" Isabel's voice quivered as she addressed the man aiming an arrow at her and she felt anxious as Cain turned to watch the man, arms remaining at his side. She felt like an idiot and when she heard Issac trying his best to suppress his laughter she felt her eye twitch, however the twit did raise his arms up near his head.

The bow men narrowed his eyes at Isabel and gestured the arrow at Cain instead. "Hands up buddy, or I'll pierce that lovely wife of yours."

"I challenge you to-" Cain winced when Isabel kicked him in the middle of his spine and he brought his hands above his head, sneaking a glare to his mistress, who returned the gesture.

The bow men smirked and gestured to his men to approach the three. Several men dismounted with swords and moved first toward Isabel. Cain growled in warning and the men laughed.

"He is growling!"

"Like a hound he is!"

"Be a good boy and play dead!" One of the men brought the hilt of his sword up and slammed it into Cain's back. The demon fell to his knees and leaves began to stir from unnatural winds. Crimson glowing eyes peeked beneath his choppy white mane as he looked up at his Mistress seated upon her saddle and watched as her expression changed.

"That's a good hound, now roll over!" A swift kick sent Cain rolling and the demon landed a few feet away, his eyes dull as he stared at the setting sun. Isabel blinked, her heart clenching from watching her prideful demon accept a beating. She hated it.

The men laughed as a few of the men surrounded the pacifistic demon and one drew its blade "look at his pure white hair, let's cut it."

Isabel withdrew her dagger and slammed it into the nearest mercenary's neck. She didn't falter as she hit the ground at a run, pulling the bloody dagger free to charge the circlet of men.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Violets blazing, she ran at the men, rage driving her and blinding her. A man emerged from a blind spot and landed a fierce punch to her sternum.

 _It hurts…_ A terrified voice echoed within her head, doubling her pain. She cried out and fell to her knees, tears stinging her eyes. Never had she felt pain as intense as she had from that man's punch. She couldn't breathe and soon she found herself falling to the floor to curl herself around the sensitive area. She was unsure how long she lay there, but she was roused from her pain when Cain gripped her face.

"Order me to kill them, Isabel. I cannot act unless you allow me to-" A group of men detained the demon and he roared in rage at them as they pulled him away from his wheezing mistress. The world spun as she watched them take her demon away and soon even the colors of the world faded into darkness.

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Not sure how often I will update this story as I kinda of want to finish one so I can focus on one or the other. We shall see. Lemme know :D**

 **See you next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello! This story is back! I hope you all are as excited as I am to continue this story! :D**

 **Thanks for the reviews for this story, especially those of you that desire for this story to continue! It made transitioning back to this story fairly easy for me, knowing that there are people out there that want this to continue.**

 **Atoned is complete, so those of you that read it, go finish it ;D Now I can give this story my undivided attention.**

 **Now it is time to get buried in this story, and to get Cain to stop breathing down my neck. Such an impatient demon.**

 **Here is your chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Cold air brushed against Isabel's senses as color began to paint her vision. It was dark out, but the overhang of trees thinned above her allowing rich moonlight to light the clearing she was being escorted through. Warmth lined her back as someone held her close to them, and she could guess she was on horseback by the gentle sway of the travel.

"...what happened?" Isabel asked, not bothering to look back at the person restraining her. She could feel the cold hands at her stomach, so a part of her guessed who sat behind her.

"Your spawn disobeyed you and asked that I escort you home." Issac explained, leaning in to speak next to her ear "your creature tore them limb from limb until only one stood. Quite the monster you have under retainer."

She turned to glare at Issac, but stopped when pain knotted in her abdomen, causing her to stop. She brought a hand to the area, brushing chilled fingertips against her stomach. Her eye brows furrowed, confused as to why the pain remained. She had been hit may times before and never once had the blow caused her such pain, but then again those that hit her before had attempted to not blemish her nor had they been trying to kill her. The hand on her stomach gave her mild relief, so she chose to leave it there and returned her focus to the road now in front of her.

"Did Cain tell you anything else?"

"I see, so you accustomed to his malice" The man sat back, allowing the woman room to curl around her stomach "not even a flinch."

Silence passed between the two and even the crickets had stopped their senseless humming.

"Is your stomach still tender?" It was Issac that finally broke the prolonged silence "you may have swelling, the area is quite hot. I can examine you when we arrive if you wish."

"Playing doctor are you?" Isabel's bored tone replied, her hand still glued to her abdomen "you didn't answer me. Did Cain say anything else?"

The woman was quite confused by the last image she had seen compared to what the necromancer reported and that wasn't the only complicated part. Before she lost sight she recalled that the demon demanded that she order him to kill them, and yet he had regardless. Why ask then? She shook her head, it didn't make sense. However, this was hardly the first time that Cain had stepped out of line when it came to her orders and this had her wondering how much control she really had over the demon. Gooseflesh broke out under her covered arms and she rubbed at them self-consciously.

"-believe he stated the process would take about a week, but he assured me no longer." Isabel perked up at the tail end of the man's conversation and with a jolt at his words, she looked back at Issac.

"Cain said he would be gone for a week?! How would resolving such a small matter take so long?" Isabel cursed as the pain flared and she winced, returning straight "blasted fragile body."

Issac was quiet, but Isabel knew the man was examining her from behind "at this rate it will take us a week to return, I am going to quicken the pace. Brace yourself." Issac caused the saddle to rock as he jostled the horse into motion and the large beast whinnied its understanding. Rearing up, the horse shot forward and carried the two rather roughly through the night.

* * *

"Welcome home, Mistress." Kaile bowed as she swung the door open and stood against it so the two could enter. "I hope your travels were pleasurable?"

"If I could remain home for years, I would not complain" Isabel shrugged out of the ragged coat she wore and the maid made easy work taking it. "Kaile, dear, please run me a bath as the woods were rather grimy."

"Right away, Mistress" Kaile bowed and then turned to the man "may I take your coat Sir?"

"So very kind of you, it must be awful to serve this woman" Issac grinned when Isabel shot a glare his direction and proceeded to take off his coat. He handed the maid the material and stretched, giving the room a once over "I don't recall there being such an establishment in this part of the woods."

"Yes, yes, in the rubbish bin, put it in there." Issac sighed as Isabel directed her servant to toss his coat. The Mistress turned and looked at him shocked "Oh heavens were you speaking? My apologies" she dipped her chin in mock apology.

Issac shook his head and gestured for Isabel to lead the way "take me where I can examine you, abdominal pain should not persist after a couple of days, especially when provoked by trauma."

Kaile's form trotted out of earshot as she went to fulfill her lady's orders "are you a doctor or taxidermist?"

"Neither, I am beginning to wonder if you listen to me at all" a hand pushed up against Isabel's lower back and pushed her forward "onwards, or I shall strip you here."

Isabel choked on the laugh that bubbled in her throat "I beg your pardon!"

The hand at her back curled and clenched the material there "if you insist on undressing here, then so be it." He tugged in warning.

Isabel sighed and moved to climb the stairs "your mad if you think I would allow you to undress me."

"Your egotistical if you believe I am doing so only to witness your naked body. At least attempt to be professional, Miss Crane."

Violets burned as they glared over at Issac and the man shrugged with a smile.

The two remained silent as they climbed the floors and finally after several minutes they approached Isabel's room. When they stepped onto the floor, Kaile was exiting and she bowed politely, turning to her Mistress.

"I have prepared your bath and supplied a cloth for you to dry with. I have not seen Cain return yet, so will you be needing assistance with your bath?"

A giggle sounded behind Isabel "a creature of destruction forced to give a girl a bath..." A hand went to his mouth and he bit his lip so he didn't burst "limitless power being reduced to controlling the temperature of the tub..." An elbow shot back and dug into the man's rips, and exuberant laughter was his reply.

"Yes, please stay to help me undress. The woods has me quite sore as of late." Isabel walked into the room and Kaile soon followed. Issac wiped the tears away and moved towards the opening, but once he drew near, the door slammed shut. The wood grazed his nose in passing and then he was left alone in the hall.

"Heh." Issac turned and leaned against the door, appearing unperturbed as he began to whistle a cheery tune.

"Was your trip a success?" Kaile asked. The girl moved behind her lady and began unfastening buttons.

"I'm not quite sure, to be perfectly honest." Isabel sighed in pleasure as the restriction at her stomach and chest reduced. She reached back and pulled her hair in a bun high on her head and left a hand to hold it. Kaile noticed and made quick work of tying a bow around the tangled mane.

"Is that why Cain has not returned?"

Isabel nodded, but allowed no further explanation, mostly because she didn't have one. It was as simple as that. Cain had sent her home so he could tie up the loose ends of this case. He was acting upon his own desires and had disobeyed her orders. She looked down at the the gloved hand that held her seal and brought her other hand over to cover it, applying pressure to the quivering hand.

"Are you worried Mistress?" Kaile moved to begin unfastening the front buttons now, and looked up with concern filled eyes "he will return, do not fret."

"I am not concerned of his safety, he can do as he pleases." A hand cupped Isabel's face, and the sudden warmth had her surprised.

"Nevertheless, he will return to you." The girl smiled as she watched color fill her lady's cheeks. Satisfied, she returned her hands to the lace at her lady's stomach. "Now then, this is all that's left" with quick fingers she released the knot and the gown fell almost instantly. Kaile gasped and brought her hands to her mouth, taking a few steps away from her naked Mistress. "W-what is t-that?"

"What is what?" Isabel looked down at her flesh. Kaile had already witnessed her scars so if it was enough to frighten the girl, then it must be new. Fear laced into the woman's mind as she scanned her skin, tracing the lines of abuse that marked her, but then something dark caught her attention. She bowed her back so she could see the odd marking on her stomach better.

A symbol, much like the one on her hand, branded her stomach. It was large and took up most of her abdomen in its circular shape. Inside was much like the pattern that Cain had branded her with, but this symbol was much simpler as it only had lines and not swords. She watched as her hand moved to touch the pattern, regardless of the heat that radiated off of it. The printed area was beyond hot and burned as hot as a kettle, but a different sensation compelled her finger to continue tracing the heat. Beneath her skin she felt as if another finger traced the symbol _with_ her.

* * *

"So it was nothing but faithful servants of the previous lord. Such a bore." Cain tossed the corpse he held into the pile he had made within the small manor. A small satchel hung on his shoulder as he gave the manor a final once over. "My Mistress will be quite disappointed, but at least I could collect other useful routes from you wonderful men. I thank thee." Cain bowed to the mutilated body's and raised a hand to stifle the nausea that stirred in his stomach.

"You are all repulsive." Cain waved a hand and the pile of corpses combusted into a roaring fire. He moved out of the small house as the flame began to spread and looked up at the sunrise, glowering. "This took longer then I expected. I shall return home and start catching up-" Power crackled through the air, making the demon instantly aware and leaping away from where he once stood.

A large staff tipped with a serrated spade impacted the area and soon a man dressed in fine clothes landed beside the large weapon. He pulled the staff from earth and brought the tip to point at the sky, slamming the hilt into the ground.

"Greetings Cain, may I first congratulate you on acquiring the throne of the sixth lord of hell. From a personal stand point, I believe you deserved recognition, but alas that is not why I am here." From the man's other hand a book appeared and he began reciting something from within. "Cain, you have violated the terms of your Faustian Contract and have to be reprimanded. Would you like me to recite your violations?"

"Please do" Cain smirked and gestured for the man to continue.

"Very well. First, you have consumed almost every soul that you have killed."

"I wouldn't wish the repulsive souls on my kind, so I did them all a favor and consumed the toxic. Do not hesitate to compliment me on my selflessness."

"I believe you are quite aware of how that violates the contract on your hand" The man tilted his head, confusion glazing his eyes "I am actually impressed you are able to disobey, normally demons are rendered useless when they disobey their master's. Unless-" The man pointed his weapon at the demon, defensive.

"Unless you aren't under contract."

Cain chuckled then and brought up the hand that blazed violet, contract burning. The symbol quivered then and receded into the demon, leaving the pale flawless skin behind. "Quite observant aren't you? An impressive characteristic from a puppet of heaven. What is your name, Death God?"

"I have been sent to silence you demon, so do us both a favor and accept punishment." The man slipped into a crouch with a smile "you may call me Alexander, demon, and I have in fact been told that I am great."

* * *

 **To be continued!**

 **Please review if you can!**

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **NOT RELATED TO CHAPTER: For those of you that heard about my dog from Atoned, Bella is making amazing progress. She will be returning home tomorrow and we are all so happy to be getting her back home. Thank you all for your caring words and support, we have such a wonderful community here on ffic and you all continue to make that possible.**

 **With love,**

 **Lovemedead18**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, I lost about 900 word so this chapter, RIP previous 900 words I painstakingly wrote, but its the fact that my readers return to this story that I rewrote all of it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"We must take you to a cleric Mistress!" Kaile grabbed Isabel's wrist and attempted to drag her towards the door "we must cleanse this at once!"

Isabel resisted weakly, the girl managing to pull her several steps "that will not be necessary... Issac, come in if you will."

The door opened then, and Issac came in mid whistle. The air caught in his throat upon seeing her, the tune dying.

Isabel tilted her head at him "what do you make of this?"

The man brought a hand to his chin, appearing to be deep in thought "I have to say your curves are much softer then I would have imagined and questions do arise about the scars."

The woman glared at him, causing him to chuckle while he moved towards her. She watched as Issac kneeled down and considered the symbol.

"Kaile was it? Might you fetch us some tea?"

Kaile looked torn, but when her Mistress nodded she bowed and left the room in search of refreshments. Several minutes ticked by as the man crouched at her belly, staring at it intently, and the silence that filled the room drove Isabel mad.

"If privacy is necessary I can only assume the worst. Speak Issac."

The man brought a finger up after a moment and with gentle force he went to touch the marked area, but what happened amazed them both. The skin curled away from his finger when it was within centimeters of touching it and as he moved his fingertip back and forth, the odd phenomenon followed.

 _Stranger_...

Again, that same terrified voice spoke through her senses. It was faint, but this time she couldn't ignore it and before she realized what she was doing, she had slapped Issac's hand away and stumbled back.

"Unless you are a contortionist, I have no words in which I could describe your condition." Issac pushed off his knees and went to stand, waving his abused hand back and forth "you've got some strength as well, such an interesting woman."

"You haven't a theory as to what this is? In your research of demonic beings, nothing like this has surfaced?" Isabel demanded, hand never budging from the colored area.

"Research? What research? You mean the few paragraphs within the sea of folklore I have read? No, my lady. Nothing has trickled through as of late. Perhaps your spawn can be of more use in this matter."

Isabel cursed and moved over to her window to gaze out at the dark forestry. Cain would be gone for a week at most, doing her bidding. A part of her had desired for the demon to take care of this annoying task, but now she regretted ever considering it. Every moment the white haired demon wasn't at her side she felt exposed, vulnerable. She was positive she was swayed by the marking on her stomach, but she knew that was only half true. Cain was her knight, her demon, and when her protection was absent so was her power. She sighed and allowed her forehead to tap the glass, fatigue grating at her. Sleep was tugging at her to go to bed, but the fear of what now lay on her stomach had her much too concerned to just jump into bed and greet her dreams. Her eyes scanned the darkness in hopes to see her shadow laced prince, but then another caught her eye.

Light blonde hair stirred in the wind of the night and glowed in the moonlight.

The door opened and Kaile carried a small tray in with tea and cups.

"I have a simple-"

"Kaile, dress me, quickly." Isabel demanded, pushing away from the window and cutting off the girl mid-sentence. Kaile's eyes widened and she put the tray down on one of the end tables. Issac approached the steaming liquid with greed in his eyes.

"Are you going to a cleric?" The girl asked, hopeful.

"No, I will be going out for just a moment. A simple outfit, please. Make it quick." Kaile made easy work of locating a simple dress and cloak for her to wear, and within minutes Isabel was fully dressed yet again.

"I will be back. You may drink my tea, Kaile. Keep our guest entertained."

"You would not have me come with you?" Issac asked, looking over his cup at her, expression amused.

"No, I will be meeting with a friend of a friend." Isabel danced around the two as they attempted to accompany her.

"Should I bring the carriage around then?"

"No, drink the tea and stay put. The both of you." Isabel retreated and slammed the door on the two, leaving them within. She turned and began to sprint down the stairs and hallways until she reached the door that lead to the courtyard. She burst through the thick wooden doors and paused a few steps outside. Glancing up at her window she estimated about the direction she had seen the woman in the forest and then began to run towards the dark forestry. Minutes passed as she lept, dodged, and ran whilst looking for her destination and finally after what felt like twenty minutes, she exited the thicket where she finally found the lady.

Lara, Cain's underling, sat upon a tree stump and with gentle strokes she combed through her long platinum mane. Tonight she wore a long sleeved white dress, making her look ironically angelic, and as Isabel approached the woman looked up at her. With a smile, the woman spoke.

"Hello, mortal. The forest at night is no place for a woman as spoiled as yourself. What do I owe the pleasure?"

Isabel took several long breaths before speaking so she didn't embarrass herself by panting while she spoke "I have questions for you."

Lara scoffed "don't we all."

"What is your relationship with Cain?" Isabel asked, ignoring the chide.

Lara's expression dropped its playful demeanor "you have no power over me, human."

"Nor do you over me, Lara." Isabel retorted, causing the demoness to growl, but regardless the woman approached Lara. "If it is death you threaten me with, I welcome it. If it is pain, then I will endure it as I have all my life. Your threats do not intimidate me, demon. However, if you are willing to cooperate and answer my questions, then I can ensure you that I will tell Cain of your good tidings."

Isabel watched as the demoness considered her words and after a moment she smiled again, her eyes recalling a memory "Cain is my love. I have known him since the dawn of my existence and we have spent an eternity together. I cannot put in simple words the relationship he and I share, but it lays beyond intimacy."

Isabel nodded then and in reaction to the demoness's words, she brought a hand to her throat where she tore at a knot. The cowl fell to the forest floor and within minutes, so did her dress.

"Then tell me, Lara. What is this?"

A flood of emotions filled the demoness's features and soon they were cast in silence. The wind raked against the thick tree branches, causing the clearing to fill with the sound of scratching leaves and faint yips of wildlife. Shivering, Isabel cleared her throat about to address the woman, but Lara stood, making her stop. The demoness's eyes had grown hard, dull scarlets locked onto the near nude woman before her.

"How dare you seduce him, mortal whore." Within a blink of an eye, Lara appeared before her and lifted her into the air by her throat. Pain shot through her chest because of lack of oxygen. Her eyes fluttered, but she forced her quivering hand to point at the marking at her stomach and to cough out the question yet again. She would have an answer.

"What… is it…?"

Lara released her, the demoness watching as the woman crumbled to the ground, but then she was gripping the woman's chin in an iron grip.

"Do not play coy with me, human. You know very well what this symbol means." Lara pushed Isabel on her back and pushed the emblem.

 _Bad_ …

Isabel shoved the hand away from her stomach, replacing the area with her own hand and glared up at the demoness.

"If I knew what this was do you believe I would run out here, strip my clothes in one of the coldest nights this season, and ask you questions you assume I have the answers to? Come now, you are not that idiotic are you?"

Lara glared and raised her hand, razors now extending from her nails "apologize, mortal."

"Answer me, demon" Isabel countered.

The two stared each other down, and again the sound of the forest invaded their senses, but after several minutes, something stirred beneath those ice cold eyes and the demoness smiled, pulling the woman to her feet.

"I suppose you are right, and I shall take the pleasure in being the first to tell you of your condition and rob the chance for Cain too." Lara reached for the discarded clothing and wrapped the cowl around the shivering woman.

"You are pregnant, mortal, with a demon's child."

Isabel felt her heart pound and within seconds she was shaking her head "no, I cannot be."

"You can and are, mortal. I actually could not have asked for a more perfect scenario."

Isabel couldn't hear what Lara was saying as shock filled her senses. She fell to her knees and pulled the cloak tighter to her "no, I cannot be with child… I am sterile. I was made so when I was sold into slavery…"

Lara ceased her teasing and grew serious "sterile?"

"Yes, I cannot be pregnant as my body cannot bare a child any longer." Isabel's voice was low, fear and confusion fighting for dominance.

Crickets began their nightly chirping and played a nice melody as the two were lost in their thoughts yet again. However, when the demoness spoke up, the insects paused their song.

"Taking your condition and the fact that Cain is involved, you may in fact not be pregnant." Lara moved to crouch before Isabel again and offered the shaking woman a gentle smile "come, I shall examine you at my estate where we can fully determine your condition."

Terrified violet eyes looked up at the demoness and without recollection, she grabbed Lara's hand.

* * *

"NOT THE FACE! PLEASE NOT THE FACE!" Alexander pleaded as Cain twirled the stolen weapon. The death god was entangled in the long shadow like appendages and with every twitch the barbs that had manifested around the lengths dug deeper into the man.

"If anything could use scarring, your face should be the first place you consider. Are you truly a man?" Cain smirked as he brought the Death God's serrated weapon to the cringing man's face.

"Now then, where would you like me first to pierce you with your own weapon, Alexander?"

"Um…" The man opened an eye to look up at the demon "not… in the face, like I asked before?"

"The nose it is-" Pain shot through the demon, cutting off his words and with a snarl he spun to see that three more of Alexander's kind had arrived. It would definitely explain the small scythe sticking out of his back.

"That was awfully rude to interrupt my dinner." Cain threatened, reaching back to pull the curved blade from his spine.

"You cannot eat us, demon." One stated, drawing another scythe much like the one he had now in his hand. The other two produced other similar weapons and with a curse, Cain thrust the spade into Alexander's shoulder and stuck him to the ground. With another twist of his body he threw the scythe back at the three, more so to distract then to harm, but when he heard a cry of pain he laughed in wonderment.

 _Heh, I impress myself more and more each day._

"My apologies but I must be off now. Demons to rule, humans to eat, and a Mistress to serve, you know the course. Farewell, servants of Purgatory." The dark limbs released the trapped man and wrapped around the demon, encasing him in darkness. With a swirl of motion, the demon vanished.

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

**This is taken a while, my apologies. I am actually in the process of making this story available as an audio book. I have recorded five chapters so far and a friend of mine will be taking over, as she wants to get into recording for book. The audio verson is a bit different due to the fact that I edit a lot of grammar as I go and dialogue tends to change with reading it out loud, because some lines are better read in your mind then aloud. If you are interested, feel free to send me a PM and I can get you the files if you would like. :D**

 **Now then, let this story continue!**

 **This chapter has been edited, definitely reread.**

* * *

Amongst the quiet trees a pocket of wind began to form. Brittle leaves were torn from their homes and sent into a flurry as darkness split the cyclone. Dark appendages darted from the now oval opening and pierced the dirt in several places as Cain exited his portal. The demon's face was pale, more so than usual, and his glowing red eyes focused on the ground before him.

 _Reapers… what annoying creatures…_ Dark blood coated his clothes where the wound on his back continued to bleed. Cain reached a hand back as his dark manifestations melted into the ground, blending back into the shadows of the forest floor, and touched the infliction. He winced as the brush of his finger stinged his skin, causing him to growl.

 _The blade must of been blessed._

It was no shock to the demon that the blade that had pierced him was blessed, as the squad of Reapers had been sent to punish him. No leader would send their troops in without some sort of protection. Cain grimaced as he pushed himself forward to the faint outline of his Mistress's mansion.

 _I will have to wait until this wound heals, until then I cannot maintain a proper Glamour._ Glamour was what demons used to appear humane to their masters, but it served many purposes besides just that. With Glamour, a demon could contort their image to any role they could mentally maintain. If a demon needed to spend the day as a dog, then they simply needed to imagine the image of dog and perceive themselves as one. If they needed to portray themselves as a tree, well, then they would have to understand the plant in order to be one. Never had there been an instance where a demon had to act as a tree, but there were plenty of instances for a demon to disguise themselves as mortal beings, as their prey was mortal.

"I could use a meal" Cain snarled, caving in to his pain by sitting down on an aged tree stump. He closed his eyes and allowed his senses to stretch out, since physical movement was far too taxing. The more he moved, the more difficult it became for his skin to mend, but he wanted to get closer to the house and closer to his Mistress. One could imagine his shock when he sensed her nearby in the woods, rather than in the mansion as she should have; however, this was not the most unsettling part. What was more concerning was the fact that Isabel was accompanied by Lara, of all people.

"So you are aware now of what you must do?" Lara spoke, her voice heavy with expectation.

No reply came, leaving the eavesdropping demon to wonder what the two had spoken about. He needed to know and as this one thought looped in his mind, his skin began to fade into darkness, dripping into the shadows surrounding him and slithering across the forest floor. Soon he pooled in a large circle of darkness that held the two females within the thick forest.

Lara leaned against a withered tree and watched Isabel with sparkling ice colored eyes. She wore a lengthy dress, which Cain knew she chose solely to conceal her multiple wounds from their previous exchange, and looked most intrigued by his lady. The demon found this odd, as Lara had always held an air of disinterest, or more like hatred for his human master so why now did she look at Isabel with such interest?

"I will take what you have told me into consideration" Isabel nodded to the woman and turned to leave, but Lara laughed, making the woman pause in irritation.

"It does not bother me if you believe me or not, mortal, because in the end, it is all the same. Allow me to offer a suggestion" The demoness smirked, her eyes flashing red "enjoy your remaining months as a mortal."

Isabel turned to curse at the woman, but when she glanced back, Lara was gone. Gritting her teeth, she brought a hand to her stomach and glowered down at the area in question before taking a step in the direction of her home.

Cain watched his Mistress through the hanging shadows and beneath the dark abyss the demon scowled. _Oh, I think not._

Large dark spikes shot out of the forest floor and surrounded the woman within an instant. Isabel hissed and took several steps back out of surprise.

"How dare you startle me, demon!"

" _My apologies, but your little rendezvous had me most anxious. Might you tell me what the two of you talked about?"_ Cain's voice surrounded the woman, much like the quivering limbs that now caged her, and had an almost distant feeling to it.

"Might you explain this?" The woman pointed a slender finger at the dark webbing.

Silence sat heavy in the forest as the two refused to answer one another, but Isabel broke first.

"What does it matter? You've been gone for days and now expect _me_ to explain my actions?" She gave a hollow laugh, malice echoing in the sound "No, that is not how this works Cain. Now release me" Isabel's violet eyes flashed the moonlight "or just kill me and end this pathetic charade."

The appendages twitched and all at once the mass shrunk into the ground once more. Cain stood before her with what glamour he could manage. His maroon eyes were narrowed, not looking pleased "what did Lara say."

It wasn't a question, rather a demand and the demon began walking towards the woman. Isabel appeared disinterested, but her eyes screamed anger.

"That you are a demon, nothing I didn't already know" Isabel locked eyes with Cain and she grinned "now if you'll excuse me, I need to return home as I have been absent for a couple days-"

"Isabel, I have been gone for less than a day." The reds of the demon's eyes began to glow "you will tell me what she has said and you will do so now."

Cain reached and grabbed the woman's chin between his thumb and forefinger. Blood trickled from beneath his sleeve and ran down the length of his arm, sliding into his fingers and dripping onto her face.

As the warm blood pooled on her chin, a small sigh coursed within her.

 _Faaather…_

Pale skin flashed as it smacked the demon's hand away. Cain snarled and his power flared in response, but he faltered when he witnessed tears in the woman's eyes. She didn't look him in the eye and the fact it was intentional made Cain furious, but he couldn't move. The emotion he saw in her eyes was much like when Mordecai assaulted her and that had the demon hesitating. He gritted his teeth and turned his back on the woman.

"Ib… I shall wait until you are ready to tell me what nonsense Lara has filled your head with. Until then I will leave you, as I can see my presence here is unwanted. You need only call me and I will return to your side."

Tears multiplied in the woman's eyes and they glanced over at the demon's back. She reached out a hand, her heart clenching at the large wound in the man's back. What had happened to him in her absence? Blood continued to saturate his back and her hand moved to touch the trail of crimson.

 _You are with child mortal, and it is a child of a demon. Such a honor that you will have to sacrifice your life for Cain's seed, as humans cannot survive demonic childbirth. Your pregnancy will be a quarter of the time that it takes humans to give birth and when fully matured, your child will rip from your womb and stretch it's arms for the first time. Signs will start to show after your first month, so if you would like, I can take you into hiding until you give birth. If you value your life, you will not tell Cain of this. In the past... he never took the news very well. I have lost count of how many mortals he has slaughtered that bore his seed and I wouldn't want the same fate for you, Lady Isabel._

Her hand stopped and clenched, twitching in anger. Pain constructed her chest and words became impossible to form. Tears stung her eyes and her body quivered, but she brought her hand back to her chest and returned to staring down the path back at her home.

"I will be waiting" the sound of boots crunching was her only indication the demon had left. Silence wrapped itself around the woman and soon the sound of her sobs broke it. She pushed her legs forward and with mindless movement she returned home.

When she was within a close distance of the door, she noticed Issac looming against the railing of the stairs.

"Well well, what an expression you've got there" he pushed himself from the railing and strolled over to her "did you get lost?"

Isabel showed no interest as she walked past the man and Issac sighed, moving to grab her wrist.

"Compose yourself before entering, unless you wish to show your staff your true colors."

"...let me go" Isabel choked, tugging her hand away from the man, but his fingers remained laced around her slender wrist.

"I have free will, so I will do as I wish. Do not think you can control me like your spawn-" Her eyes shot up and met with the man's, making Issac stop. Violet depths appeared almost crimson as anger dug into her features.

"Let me go, Issac" the words sounded forced, and the effort made several tears fall from her eyes. Issac narrowed his eyes, contemplating. He knew she had gone to see a demon, perhaps a friend of Cain's, but how she looked, did she really meet up with the demon? A trace of guilt laced through him as he knew he should have accompanied her, regardless of her demands earlier. He sighed and opened his mouth to ask what happened, but the words died in his throat as the front door was swung open. Relying on instinct, the man moved and brought his arms around Isabel, pulling her into his cloak.

"Mistress! Is that you?!" Kaile's panicked tone asked.

Issac spoke in an almost whisper, wanting only Isabel to hear "your trembling. I'm going to lift you up, so please try your best to not bite. I will take you to your room and we can talk about this tomorrow. Now be a good girl and appear asleep." Issac's grip on her tightened and shifted in order to scoop her up in his arms. The dark cloak consumed her, but in the movement Issac's hand peeked out from beneath and the touch was uncomfortable due to how ice cold the limb was. Issac had stated he was cold to begin with, but this chill couldn't compare to his normal touch. She appeared conflicted as she played with the idea that Issac had been outside waiting for her to return and with a gentle sigh she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Can you get the door Kaile?" Issac called out, turning to face the girl once Isabel appeared asleep, or at least enough to fool the staff. He climbed the small stairs and glanced over at Kaile upon passing "could you show me where her chambers are again? It appears she got lost in the woods, silly woman."

 _I got lost in the woods?! You bastard..._ Isabel shifted a hand beneath the dark robes and wrapped her fingers around his forearm.

"Well, at least that is what I am to believe, because she exited the forest when I found her and she collapsed as soon as she reached me." Isabel clenched her jaw, damned man sounded proud.

"Oh, well then it was good that you were waiting outside when she came home. I don't understand where she ran off too... but who am I to question it" Kaile's voice traveled past the two and the sound of her shoes on the stairs pressured Issac to move forward, but her footsteps paused.

"We should take her to the church."

Issac sighed and looked down "I believe whoever she meant to talk with told her what she needed to know. Let us allow her to sleep and we shall ask her tomorrow if she will speak with a cleric."

It was Kaile's turn to sigh and she did so with pain in her breath "if only Cain was here... He would know what to do."

Isabel flinched and again her body began to quiver. Cain, the one firm cog in her mess of gears. Her mind couldn't comprehend anything but anger at this point, but she knew she would have to analyze their time together in order to see if Cain had in fact been deceiving her. He was demon, so of course he had been toying with her, but her gut challenged that. Were his smiles, his laughs and his emotions all for the act? Her heart screamed for the news she heard to not be true and she had told herself that she wouldn't believe it, but when Cain appeared in the woods, her resolve had shattered.

He had been gone for days, and it was then that he chose to show up, right after Lara had taken her and explained everything.

 _Isabel, I have been gone for less then a day._ Had she? Had it only been a day since Lara had escorted her to the demoness's home? No, it couldn't have been. She had slept and eaten while Lara ran tests and consulted with other demons. She of course hadn't seen these meetings as the woman had left her in one of the rooms of the mansion. It had been strange, during the downtime in between the small sessions with Lara, Isabel couldn't find time to think. Her brain had been blank during the entire time. She had laid there, staring at the ash colored wall, and listened to the static that manifested in silence. Time passed and there had been no way to accumulate how long she truly laid there, but it had felt like hours. She knew she had also dozed off several times, falling into dreamless slumbers, only to be woken up by the demoness later for another questioning and a meal. No, there was no way that everything that had happened took place with barely a day.

But Cain had no reason to lie, so then why did he?

"Well, he isn't, so we shall make due. Soon you and your Mistress will understand that even a man like Cain can be replaced." Issac retorted and passed the girl on the stairs, pushing up them "its all a matter of time."

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **Hope you all are enjoying the story!**

 **Please review if you have the time! Its awesome. B)**

 **See you all next chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21

**I just wanted to let you all know that I changed the last chapter, as I wrote myself into a corner. I'm sorry, but I dun goofed. It has been fixed, and mostly the only change was what Lara said to Isabel (WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO SORRY! T-T) So I REALLY suggest you go back and reread the last chapter.**

 **I'm on vacation right now, and my goal is to finish this story. Lets do it!**

 **Now then, onto the next chapter!**

* * *

"You must eat my lady" Kaile's concerned tone called after knocking at Isabel's door.

Food. She couldn't find the effort to eat, but that wasn't the whole predicament. It was more so a loss of appetite. She found she no longer craved food or any type of substanence, not even needing a glass of water. The very thought of food made her ill and when Kaile entered with a tray in hand, Isabel's stomach flipped. A hand shot to her mouth and Kaile immediately put the tray down and ran to her.

"You're still sick?!" Kaile rushed to her lady's side and assisted the woman to the wash room where Isabel fell into the trash bin, coughing and hacking.

 _It's disgusting… don't like it._ Isabel quivered and wrapped her hands around herself as that child like voice echoed within her mind. Gentle fingers tugged through her hair and caught all the loose strands within their grasp. The touch felt so familiar and with a hiss she pushed Kaile away, not wanting the girl witnessing how pathetic she looked.

"Leave me…"

The girl sighed and from her peripheral she saw the girl bow and head for the door.

"Take the food… please." Isabel wiped her mouth and pushed herself back onto her feet. She stumbled a bit, but reached out to the wall to steady herself.

"You need help-"

"LEAVE ME!" Isabel shouted, swinging at the air between them "I need no one's help."

Isabel clenched her fists as the girl's expression appeared hurt and with another bow, the girl exited the room. Once the aroma of food was removed, Isabel could feel a bit of sanity return to her. With a grimace and a curse she stumbled back to looking into the trash. She knew what she would find, and it was the main reason she sent the girl away.

Blood lined the can and she tossed a rag over the bin to hide the atrocity.

 _Enjoy your remaining months as a mortal._ Lara's words came back to her at full force. A delicate quivering hand touched at her abdomen and she stared out the window of the estate. It was dusk, which was her new wake up time as of late, and she stared down at the courtyard knowing he would be there. She pushed the windows opened and leaned out, enjoying the gentle breeze.

"I'll never understand why you wait until sunset to trim the lawn."

The man brandished a large scythe and swept the giant blade through an overgrown hedge. The bush split in half and twigs and leafs scattered the lawn in result. The man threw the tool over his shoulder and with a smirk he gazed up at Isabel.

"It is much too bright and humid to do so when the sun is up" the man tilted his head, mild concern showing in his features "still having fits?"

Isabel glowered and with a sigh she climbed the window until she sat on the edge. The man twitched and this made her smirk "I didn't think you cared, Issac."

"I don't, honestly" regardless Issac moved so he could stand below her "I am more concerned what your pet would do to me if I were to turn a blind eye."

"I didn't know you and the demon were so close." Isabel said, appearing bored "well, when you are done with your chores, meet me in the study. Vacation is over." With a whisk of raven colored hair, the woman vanished from the window.

Issac sighed and glanced down at the bush now exploded across the lawn. He lifted the tool again "I detest gardening."

"It shows."

A voice from behind had Issac turning the blade at his intruder instead of the shrub. Two ivory fingers snatched the blade mid air, pausing the onslaught. "Good evening, necromancer. You are ruining my plants."

Cain stood there holding the giant blade much like someone would reach out and block the sun. His eyes were bright and red and were glued to the window Isabel had just departed.

"What did Lara tell her?"

"Sorry, mum always told me not to talk to strangers" Issac pulled on the scythe "are you going to give that back?"

A dull fire burned in the demon's eyes as Cain turned to glare at Issac "you test fate, addressing a demon like such."

"You won't kill me yet, what with you being banished and all."

Cain snarled, pushing the hilt of the scythe into the man "I have not been banished."

Issac coughed a laugh as the wood slammed into his chest "Oh? Then what would you call this little charade you and Miss Crane are playing?"

Little threads of shadow swirled around the demon "I would call it a misunderstanding, however…" Cain looked up at the window once more, a humanistic expression settling on his face "what that misunderstanding is, I am unsure." The demon stood there, almost as if glued to the ground. He made no move to approach the house, but his body shook showing his resistance.

"It must be troubling you, to look after Isabel. Tell me what it is that Lara said, and I can take over once more."

Issac shifted the scythe over his shoulder once again and considered Cain. After a few moments, he grinned and brought the scythe over his head "seeing as I never finished my original job before, I think I'll stick around for a few more weeks. I mean if the position opens up, I wouldn't mind being our lady's second, so I'll wait and see what becomes of the two of you." The scythe swung near the demon's feet, but it was the shrub that it actually hit. The remnants of the tattered brush flew and left only a few roots, the only indication the shrub had ever been there.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I've a meeting to attend."

Issac collected the scythe behind his head once more and tossed a wave to Cain before departing. The demon watched as the man strolled back into the house he had created for his spoiled Mistress. He could feel her within, walking around restlessly. Her aura was electrifying as of late, and the demon could almost imagine her if he closed his eyes. She paced the study and impatience all but dripped off her. Never had her aura pulled him as much as it did now, and it had all started right after their night of passion. How he craved to possess her.

The dark threads from before began to grow and touched the ground, only to bleed into the surrounding shadow and slitter towards the estate. It was foolish, this game he was playing, allowing Isabel to control him. There was nothing stopping him from simply walking through that door and cornering the woman until she broke down and told him everything, but when he moved to do exactly that, he recalled her eyes from before. Dull, pained, and apathetic. Again, his limbs began to quiver, annoyed he cared so much about breaking the woman.

 _What use is she if she is broken?_

So this is how it was. He would watch and wait. It wouldn't be too long, he believed, as Isabel required his presence and power if she was to ever achieve her goal and if there was one thing he was certain of, Isabel never did anything half assed.

With a sigh, the demon melted into the last threads of shadow and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

"Alright, here's the plan" Isabel slammed her palms on the table in front of Issac and the man glowered.

"Was that truly necessary?"

"Silence rat" Isabel pushed an envelope at Issac and the man laughed.

"I see you have returned to normal. Now I understand why they allow you to sleep in."

"Read. The. Letter, Idiot" Isabel pulled the chair out across from him and sat down with a plop. "I need you on your toes and to get serious, we haven't a second to waste."

Issac blinked, confused by her tone and looked down at the envelope. He reached a finger in and pulled out the thick parchment in order to read it. His brows furrowed in thought, not quite understanding the woman's point.

"You would like me to attend a ball with you, I'm flattered, really, but didn't you just say-" again Isabel slammed her palms on the table, interrupting Issac.

"Focus Issac! It's more than just a ball, it is the king's ball."

Issac's eyes widened and he gaped at Isabel.

"You called me Issac."

A hand flew, a man chuckled.

"Now then, the ball is being held within a few days, so we need to strategize" Isabel tapped a finger on the table and attempted to ignore the giggling lunatic. "What do you know about the King?"

"I know about as much as any other citizen. He is of noble birth and was offered his crown at a late age" Issac shrugged. "Why so curious?"

Isabel drew in air, her expression sober "I plan to throw this kingdom into anarchy before the end of this month."

The lights within the room dimmed and the air grew cold, but neither seemed affected. Issac coughed a laugh "may I ask why?"

"The King has sat idly by while his people suffered from disease, abuse, and slavery. If he doesn't want to face the darker aspects of life, then I shall bring them to him." Isabel walked around the table until she stood next to Issac, leaning into him "and in order to do this, I need your help."

Issac shook his head, disbelief settling in "your mad. You ask for suicide."

"I ask for you to take a great risk, yes, but it would not go unrewarded" Isabel leaned back, moving to sit on the edge of the table.

"I cannot enjoy the reward if I am dead now can I?" Issac mumbled, looking up at Isabel "but since I'm curious, what would it be?"

"Everything." Isabel stated.

"Excuse me?" Issac's brows furrowed.

"Everything. The estate, my earnings, and even the business if you'd like."

Again, the lights dimmed and the room stirred with chilled air. The back window creaked and a pool of black material collected on the window seal.

" _Why the sudden rush, Ib?"_ Red eyes glittered from the within the splash of black " _time and time again you stopped me from rushing into his majesty's quarters, so why now do you wish to throw your empire into chaos?"_

Isabel crossed her arms while she made obvious work of looking away from the window "good evening demon."

"Issac, would you give us some privacy?" Cain stepped away from the window, chunks of shadow solidifying and lightening with color.

"He needs to do nothing of the sort" Isabel pushed off the table and faced the approaching demon. It had been several days since she'd seen Cain and it had taken everything in her to not call the demon to her side, and yet, here he was. Her mind played with the idea that he may have in fact never left in the first place, but she forced away the useless thought when she met his indifferent expression.

"I believe I have been quite patient with you, Isabel." Cain reached out, grabbing a lock of her hair. He combed his fingers through the length before a sinister smile crossed his lips "let's have a talk, hmm?"

"I accept your offer, Miss Crane" the two looked over as Issac rose from his seat. The man smiled and nodded to Isabel "I will be retiring for the evening. When you are ready to set a plan into motion, send for me." He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder to give it a supportive squeeze before making his way out.

Silence fell between the two and Isabel glared at Cain as she brought a hand up to move his away.

"I don't understand why you're questioning my methods. You should be thrilled that I am preparing to end it all."

Cain watched as she moved away from him, but he grabbed her wrist "look at me and say that you're ready to end it all."

Isabel dipped her head so her hair could hide her expression, but her body quivered beneath his hand "do not command me, demon."

"It's Cain, Ib" he released her arm and dropped his hand to hers, wrapping his fingers around hers. "Call me Cain like you always have."

"I cannot" Isabel looked up, her eyes dull "I am ready to end it all. My goal, this life, and this charade." Violet stirred within the women's eyes as moisture collected "I am ready for you to drag me into hell Cain. I tire of life."

Cain snarled and pulled Isabel to him, several fangs protruding "if this is your outlook, allow me to take you here and now."

Isabel smirked "I suppose Lara was right."

Cain's eyes widened and he released Isabel, the woman sinking to the ground before him.

"What did she tell you?"

Laughter filled the room, but the sound was humorless "that you are demon and I am human! Just like the sky is blue and animals eat to survive." Tears leaked from her eyes as she continued to laugh, her body quivering. Cain's eyes narrowed and with a growl he turned back to the window he came from.

"If you will not tell me, I will simply ask Lara. Be a dear and wait for me to return. If you purely rely on the necromancer you will kill yourself" the demon glanced over his shoulder at Isabel, a smile in his tone "do not think death will separate us, Isabel." He then leapt from the window as his color faded into black and vanished into the surrounding shadow.

Isabel's voice cracked in her laughter and within seconds the fitful giggles transitioned into painful sobs. She slammed her fists into the floor and screamed in frustration. Her body curled into a fetal position and she hugged her legs into her.

 _This is so pathetic, again my life is being led for me._ She forced the tears to stop, blinking rapidly to trap them back beneath her lids. _I've had enough._

Her body stirred into motion and before she realized where she was going, she was knocking on a door. The door slid open and Issac filled the doorway. For once the man didn't smile, but he moved aside and gestured for her to enter.

Isabel took a step forward "do you have clothes for the ball?"

Issac brought a hand to the small of her back and pushed her the rest of the distance into his room "no, but your a tailor, make some for me."

"Your such a sponge."

Issac grinned and closed the door.

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **See you all next chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22

**So first, sorry this took so long. Got super distracted on my vacation.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Trees of the forest snapped and cracked as fissures split the earth around them. Darkness incarnate swirled and crashed against the wood and oak as the dark being migrated deeper into the forestry. Unnatural whispers and hisses escaped the being, but the meaning was lost in the ancient tongue they spoke in. It approached a clearing and once inside the ringlet of now splintered trees, the darkness collected every last strand of writhing shadow and cocooned around the large form. After a short moment, the shell split and revealed the form of the demon Cain, or at least a figure that somewhat resembled him.

Legs bleeding of shadow lifted the demon several feet taller into the air and his white mane swirled and stirred as if alive. Two large horns saturated in the same shadow at his feet split the writhing hair and oozed dark vapor like mist that surrounded the demon. Red now stained the demon's entire eye and the large eyes watched as a claw like hand protruded from him.

Tendrils formed from the miasma of shadow and slashed the claw to ribbons, making the demon grunt. Blood began to pour from the demon's claw and fell into an unseen mold, revealing Cain's star like emblem beneath his feet.

" _Lara, I summon thee. I ask that you come at once."_

The symbol glowed in the dim moonlight and wind brushed against the demon's body, but the breeze brushed against dead space as it didn't stir any aspect of Cain. His hair continued its restless writhing and the vapor ignored the wind completely by sticking to its host. The forest grew even more silent, making the sound of leaves rustling about as loud as someone beating a blanket like mad. Cain growled and several shadow stained tendrils manifested to lash out at the trees overhanging him. Branches scattered the area and some resting wildlife squeaked and chirped in surprise, the little creatures making haste to vacate the area.

" _BLOOD OF MY BLOOD, COME LARA!"_

The silence stretched on.

The ground began to tremble as the demon growled, his red irises looking back at the faint outline of the estate, and jagged serrated teeth framed a grin.

" _Women… this is why I have no time for them."_

Stretching the limbs out back in front of him, he dug them into the air and ripped open a purple hued portal. A distorted image of flames and smog danced within the void and Cain sighed.

" _Oh what now…"_ After one last glance at the estate, the demon stepped forward into the ember colored abyss.

Waves of scorching heat raked against the demon's flesh as flames surrounded him. What were once walls made of black stone now where piles of ash and debris. A patch of roofing crumbled as Cain began to chuckle, the sound echoing in an unnatural way as no walls contained the sound. He bent then and picked up a bundle of platinum that was done up in an aquamarine bow. Crimson stained the tips of the severed length of hair and Cain sighed, the sound almost pleasurable.

" _What is a game without its challenges?"_ Cain brought the strands to his nose and confirmed his suspicion.

"Well, that would explain why she did not come... Now what did you do, Lara?"

Fire continued to crackle around him and floor bowed with pressure. Cain narrowed his eyes, watching the flame. This heat, it burned much hotter than the occasional flame the demon manipulated and there was only one who could render obsidian to ash. Where Cain was a demon of shadow, there was one that was the essence of heat and flame and only he could create such an intense fire.

Lucifer, the oldest and current first lord of hell.

" _I suppose introductions are still in order, I never did declare my victory…"_ Shadows gathered around the demon's distorted feet and Cain sighed " _Nevertheless, he owes me a new home for what he has done to mine."_

* * *

Dim candlelight lit up the small room and the gentle light colored two forms sprawled out upon a small cot in the back corner. Pale skin peaked beneath a thick sheet as the two bodies stirred, a hand moving to caress the expand of flesh. A hiss sounded and another hand slammed down on the exploring limb.

"You said you were only going to look at it" Isabel's voice snapped, pushing the hand away from her exposed stomach. The man chuckled and his silver hair tumbled down, brushing against her flesh.

"Did I? I believe there have been many misunderstandings this night…" Issac tapped the emblem at her stomach and grinned "so it's a curse?"

"Yes, by what Lara said. It takes the course of three months to take effect, but signs start to show after the first month. It is then that I have agreed for Lara to come and collect me so she may experiment on treating me. That is why…" Isabel glared at the hand that continued to venture up her abdomen and she pinched the top of his hand "you need to focus. One month Issac."

Issac sighed and sat back in the cot, bringing a hand to rake through his hair "you knock at my door at the witching hour with an expression of helplessness and then crawl into my bed. Surely you can understand my disappointment."

"I do, but I don't care. Two completely different things."

The two glared at each other.

"Well, as it seems I cannot convince you otherwise, what is your plan."

Isabel finally smiled then and sat up, the blankets falling to pool around her stomach. She reached up then and ran a finger against Issac's jaw line.

"First, who hired you to investigate me?"

Issac's eyes widened and her smile deepened "oh, no denial?"

He sighed and grabbed her hand to move the contained limb to his mouth to brush his lips against her fingers.

"How long have you known?"

She didn't skip a beat "when you asked me for a job. I could tell you had ulterior motives, just wasn't sure exactly what at that point, but as the days passed and you seemed less and less worried about your previous contracts, I put that into perspective. If you weren't neglecting your job, then I could understand your carelessness."

He looked up over her fingers "are you going to have your pet eat me now?"

Isabel's eyes glimmered as emotion swam in her violet depths "he was never my pet, but a tool as I am to him. The end is nearing and I plan to make it a grand finale and I cannot obtain such a grand performance without your aid, Issac. So tell me, who was it?"

He maneuvered their hands so he could trap her fingers within his "so confident you are, Miss Crane. You have exposed all your cards. Did you ever consider that I might run off with you?"

She looked down at their hands and she shrugged.

"I've nothing to lose either way, but if Cain were to return only to find his long awaited prize executed, he may not let you have the estate and all of its profits."

Issac barked a laugh and he shook his head "you are so entertaining, I bet you prepped yourself for this little conversation."

Her cheeks flushed then and she looked away "you still haven't told me who hired you."

"If I don't tell you, are you going to pout?"

"I don't pout."

"I beg to differ."

"Are you going to help me or not?" Isabel snapped, her irritation rising. Issac bit his lip, evident he was holding back laughter.

"I think I would prefer to watch you pout."

He broke into laughter as Isabel pushed against him in order to leave the bed. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, shuddering out of amusment "it was-" a serious of giggles interrupted him before he was able to continue "-it was an order issued by the crown."

She stopped and looked over her shoulder "and those orders were?"

He sighed and allowed air into his lungs "sit back down, I'll cooperate."

She narrowed her eyes and Issac patted the space next to him. With an annoyed sound, she returned to the bed.

"On with it."

"My orders were simple, investigate Isabel Crane. Your success intrigued the king, and he is quite eager to have you within arms reach." The man grew sober "I was also instructed to use my better judgment if Crane Fashion should continue as well…"

Small hands glided against the man's chest and he watched with interest as Isabel circled his bicep.

"Oh, but good sir I have obtained such success with my own two hands, surely there is no crime in that?" A smile lined the lady's mouth as she looked up at him then, her eyes rich purple "but if his sire would want a tailor such as myself within the castle walls, who would I be to decline such an offer."

Issac's flirtatious demeanor returned as he went to grab the hand moving down his forearm "then I shall bring you to him at once." As he was about to grab the hand, she dodged and lifted herself from the bed, escaping him.

"I believe I have an old suit of Cain's that you'll fit almost perfectly. Wait here." She opened the door without hesitation and Issac laughed again, but the sound was more frustrated than merry.

"I will take you from him one day, you're far too amusing to waste on the likes of him."

Isabel smiled and her features reflected genuine delight "I'll hold you to that, Issac."

* * *

"My king, I apologize, but he would not listen!" A woman with the body of a serpent burst into a bedchamber and slithered over to a now parted couple. The two were laying on a bed near the back wall and a man looked over at the creature as crimson hair fell down his bare back.

"This better be good."

" _Your palace is immaculate, I must say"_ The darkness in the room multiplied as shadows collected at the door frame and leaked in strand by strand. Red eyes formed in the center of the build up and met the gaze of the red headed man. " _I suppose I will take it to replace my own, since all that remains of mine is ash."_

A smile split the man's mouth and he turned to fully face the darkness "welcome to my palace, new lord of hell and how are you enjoying your sixth throne?"

The darkness swirled until white peaks manifested into Cain's normal choppy mane and soon he was back to his fully glamoured self. He walked forward, eyeing the decor "what would possess you to decorate with the color brown?"

Unnatural black eyes narrowed, but the smile still remained on the man's face "it is ember brown, it is a rich color that I enjoy. If it displeases you, then you may redecorate my estate at a later date. However, right now, I've a job for you."

Cain barked a laugh "you destroy my manor and are requesting favors of me?"

Black eyes considered Cain for several minutes before turning to the lady curled around him "Daeva, I will send for you later."

"Perhaps a later date" the woman sat up and leaned over to kiss the man's cheek. He grinned and cupped her face to offer one in return before she stood to leave. White eyes met Cain's next, and it was such an odd sight that he could only focus on the bright irises, regardless of the tempting flesh beneath them. Then, within a blink of his eyes, the woman vanished.

"Now then, without further distraction, perhaps we can sit down and have a proper conversation in the study? I will meet you there after I make myself more presentable" The man rose from the bed stark naked and walked over to a joining room, fire sparking to life around him before entering.

Cain growled and followed the man "Lucifer, I do not have time to play your ridiculous games!"

Lucifer paused at the doorway, fire swirling around him and he turned to glare at Cain with eyes stained black.

"Then I suggest you make time, Cain; as you have managed, in your short time of enthronement, to violate our code."

Cain snarled then, slashing his hand "I am of demon blood, I abide by no such code or foundation. Our race survives on power and manipulation-"

"I will NOT listen to your ignorant prattle, child of Baal." Fire shot from Lucifer's body and surrounded Cain within an instant. The shadow demon roared in pain and sank to his knees within the blazing inferno.

"We will talk, and we talk today."

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **Thank you for the review, Azure, as always! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey there... hows it going? Hope you all are well!**

 **First off, wanna say sorry for all the cuts in here to different scenes, but I tried to make them flow to the best of my ability.**

 **Second, man has it been a long time since a chapter was released for this story?! Good to be back. :)**

 **Lastly, ... I got nothing. ENJOY! HAHA!**

* * *

"I'm starting to believe you don't know a woman's anatomy at all. I said to put your hand on my waist, not below my hip" Isabel managed to hiss through grinning teeth. She offered polite waves to the couples that passed in the ballroom and she made an effort to keep this private conversation low, but her face twitched as she felt a hand grope near her rear.

"My hands are rather large, so it is quite difficult to just grasp your waist." Issac gave her a once over and he narrowed his eyes, appearing to pout "there is so much lace, I cannot even be sure what I'm touching."

Her mask slipped for a moment as she brushed his hand with hers and with a sudden pinch, she yanked his hand up to her waist.

"Well here's a pointer. This is my waist, keep your hand there or I'll break it."

Issac snorted and tugged her close to his side as he made his way through the crowd. The venue was quite packed as all who were invited to the king's ball would never decline. The yearly party consisted of dancing, shows, and an endless banquet, so Isabel could understand the hordes of people milling about the room. It was an honor to receive such an invite, but from her perspective, she felt like it was interrogation. It was the king's way of keeping an eye on the successful business owners so he could cash in. She cursed him under her breath as she swiped a sweet from the banquet table and leaned into her companion.

"Where is his Majesty?"

Issac swept the room with his eyes and after a moment he pointed with his chin to the back left of the ballroom where a man was seated. Three guards in uniform stood around the man in his late thirties and each one kept watch from a different angle, so no one could approach unseen.

"Are you ready my lady?" Issac asked, glancing down at her again. She licked the excess icing from the sweet roll off her fingers and glowered at her gloved hand, holding it before her. The emblem was still there, as with the one on her stomach, but it was time to end this. She looked up and narrowed her eyes at the man with the crown.

"Take me."

Issac grinned and looked back up then, escorting her through the crowd and towards the king. Two guards saw them immediately and moved closer to the seated man. This drew the man's attention and he looked at him, recognition sparking beneath his orange-brown eyes.

"Oh, Mr. Petrarch, what a pleasure! And Miss Isabel Crane I presume?"

The man had golden ringlets that framed his face and stubble that clinged to his chin, affirming her opinion on facial hair, which she didn't care for. She forced herself to take a knee and bow before the man.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you." Silence followed, but she remained in her hunched position until the king have a laugh.

"You may call me Charles, and please Miss Crane, get back on your feet. Never have I seen a lady of such high standing kneel before me. The crowd may get the wrong idea, my dear."

She was about to give a snide remark, but when she met the man's eyes she felt her anger bottom out. Gentle kindness reflected in his depths and she blinked several times in confusion, trying to rekindle her fire. It was only by Issac's hand that she stood again, the man having to lift her back to her feet.

"I took the liberty of offering her a job within the castle, as you had asked my king." Issac stated, giving a sideways look to the dumbstruck woman. However, she did not break her stupor.

"Oh, did you now? Splendid! What say you Miss Crane?"

No, this wasn't right. Uncertainty flooded her system and for the first time in years she wanted to flee. She didn't know how to react to this image of the king as she always imagined him as a spiteful repulsive creature, but that didn't seem the case. His eyes held a weight she didn't understand and he seemed so… approachable and caring. No, she refused this. She refused to believe he had a heart and a soul. Not after everything she had done to get as far as she had.

"I accept your offer humbly."

"Excellent!" Charles stood and moved to retrieve her hand "I shall have you start at once!"

* * *

Agony. Volcanic heat and piercing light consumed Cain and with each wave that raked against him, he found his body curling closer to his chest. He couldn't extend himself, as shadows were impossible to form within the spreading fire and each twitch to free himself resulted in scalding flesh. However, that didn't stop him from chuckling.

"You'll… exhaust yourself sooner or later… Lucifer." Through labored words, Cain threatened the demon he knew existed beyond the walls of flame. He would have to remain close to keep this amount of power flowing.

"Perhaps, but you'll be too damaged and at the brink of death before that time comes." The heat swirled and Cain roared as it crashed against his back. He could feel his skin blister and mend within seconds, only for the flesh to be burned yet again. His eyes narrowed, exhaustion filling him. How long had he been trapped within the ring of fire? His eyes could hardly decipher anything at this point, his deep maroons glazing over. The momentary blindness was nothing compared to constant agony rippling through his body.

"I shall ask again. Did you falsify a Faustian Contract, Cain."

Again, Cain mustered enough strength to shudder out a deep chuckle "you must of been spoiled at birth, always getting what you asked for."

A growl surrounded him and the flame drew near his face, making him jerk away. The motion caught his recently healed back aflame again and he closed his eyes to bare the consistent pain. The fire did not move away and forced him to remain in the piercing heat if he wished to spare his face.

"You waste my time, Cain. Give me an answer I can give to the immaculate and I shall end your suffering."

Cain's teeth sharpened and dug into his lips, shredding them almost instantly. Blood began to pour from the tattered flesh and dribbled down his chin.

"I am a demon, my existence is nothing but suffering."

Lucifer snarled and the heat swirled and brushed Cain's face "if you will not speak, then you will scream."

And scream he did. Fire licked beneath his chin and the flesh melted away within seconds. His eyes rolled up into his skull and familiar darkness filled his vision. How he missed his solitude. His quiet darkness. How he wished he could slitter across the floor and pour into some corner where he could lure some desirable morsel in.

The hunger was raging within him. The rapid healing came at a cost and he wasn't sure how much longer he would survive within his volcanic prison. He couldn't recall how long he had been in there, but he was sure it had been days. Lucifer would leave periodically, to eat Cain was certain. It was hard to tell time when your surroundings never changed.

The heat lessened and with a sigh and a quiver, Cain opened his eyes. The flame had moved back, but still crackled in a tight circle around him. Skin began to sluggishly sprout and crawl across the bleeding and exposed wounds. He ground out words, but they were impossible to understand.

"What was that?"

" _Where… is Lara?"_

Silence. The fire crackled low, but remained around him so no shadow could touch him.

"Is that why you are here?" Lucifer asked, his tone surprised.

Cain's nails raked the floor beneath him as he quivered to push himself up, but the claws just dug into the stone and ripped from his fingers causing him to wince.

" _You burn down my house, steal my servant and prattle on about reasons why I came to visit you. No, Lucifer. I came here because I wanted to renovate your disgusting estate."_ Rage echoed his words and with a snarl he pushed himself onto his elbow. He glared into the swirled oranges and focused in on the faint form of the man beyond the fire.

"Steal? I stole Lara? You must be mistaken, she came here upon her own free will." Lucifer chuckled, and Cain watched as the demon reached up to stretch. "Might I also say that I don't recall burning down your estate, I believe I would remember wasting my time on such a childish ploy." He sighed and moved close, Cain almost able to make out his face.

"Cain, I have more important matters to attend too, so if you could be cooperate I would appreciate it. Even a demon has a pain threshold."

Cain scoffed and pushed himself upright. Now that most of his flesh was solid once more, he felt his anger rise "you do not frighten me, Lucifer. The immaculate have filed down your claws and have clipped your tattered wings. Burn me if you like, wound me if you must, but do not think for a second that I will tell you anything that does not concern you."

A snarl echoed through the room and the fire doubled in size. Large chunks split from the wall and reached out to blend into other strands until a cage like design formed above Cain. His vision was blurred, but there was no mistake that the manifestation was descending.

"Baal may not of been able to break you, Cain, but I will."

* * *

"What the hell?! How many dresses does his lady need?" Isabel cursed as she threw the fourteenth gown on the bed and slumped back in her chair. Sweat coated her brow and she reached up to wipe it away, but Issac beat her to it. With a handkerchief, he patted her forehead gently and gave her a gentle smile.

"You still have thirteen more, so get to work."

Isabel glared at him, wishing she could spit acid "why are you still here?"

Issac chuckled and folded the linen so he could pat her with a dry spot "because I fancy watching you work for once."

Isabel paused in sizing the fabric she had just grabbed as rage filled her "I've always worked, you imbecile."

"Perhaps you did some, but I can guarantee your demonic slave did most of your work." Issac moved to return to his seat, but instead of sitting across the room like he had been before, he dragged the chair over.

Isabel bit her lip and forced herself not to reply. Instead she took the dress up once more and began visualizing the detail. Fatigue was pulling on her to retire for the evening, but if she wanted to investigate, she had to finish her work. The sooner the better.

 _Hunger… Food…_

Words rattled her mind and with a jump, her stomach growled its verbal warning. Great, now she had two irritating reminders.

"Make yourself useful and locate where the dining hall is. I won't be able to finish if I stop to have dinner, so you must bring it to me."

Issac blinked at her, obviously confused by her reply and a bit disappointed she had not fought with him. Regardless, he rose from his seat and approached the door.

"Any requests?"

Isabel looked up at him with a grin "yes, find out if the king is evil so I can strangle him with this dress."

"Such an odd request. I don't think they have frog legs within the castle walls, but I will ask." Issac smirked before closing the door behind him. A spool of thread sailed across the room and hit it as soon as it closed.

 _What are… frog legs?_

"Oh hush you, mama's busy."

Time passed as she continued sewing. Issac at some point had reentered the room, but she had passively demanded that he feed her so she could focus. He had refused at first, but when she had neglected the food, he had sighed and begun to feed her as per request.

Gentle rays of the rising sun peeking beneath the drawn curtains and Isabel lifted the last dress with a sigh of relief.

"Finished… At last. Come Issac, we will explore now…" She rose from her seat and cursed from the cramps that screamed their protest at the sudden movement. The limbs pulsed as they returned to life and she glowered as she search for Issac. She shook her head when she found him and moved to lean over him.

He was sprawled out on her bed, sleeping like a child. His face looked so innocent as he slept and she wanted so badly punch him square in the nose for being an intolerable pest all evening, but she needed him. However, she also needed sleep. So she found could compromise both desires.

She climbed onto the bed and reached over him so she could get to the inside of the bed, as the cot was awfully close to the wall, and once there she sat up and put her feet on Issac's side. She smirked and pushed and away he went. He fell to the ground and with a curse he woke from his deep slumber.

"The hell Isabel?!"

"That's Lady Crane to you" she leaned over the bed side and smirked down at him. "This is my room. Beat it."

"And if I decline?" Issac rolled on his back so he could look up at her. She glowered and pointed at the door.

"Don't make me drag you."

"Do it."

"What?"

"Drag me."

"Shut up."

"No, do it or I shall continue talking."

"Issac-"

"You have beautiful eyes, they are even more lovely when you are enraged."

Isabel rolled over, vanishing from his sight.

"Oh? Are you done already? The day has only begun."

Silence.

"Isabel?"

Again, silence.

"Ib?"

Isabel was a blur as she jumped from the bed and sailed over him. She landed near his head and with a snarl she grabbed a handful of his hair and began to drag him out of the room rather easily. Issac reached back and grabbed her wrist but before he could do much of anything, he was tossed out of the room and the door slammed shut promptly after. He gawked at the door in complete shock and scrambled to his feet so he could pound on the door.

"My Lady, I don't quite understand what just-"

"LEAVE." A hiss and a thump from within was his only response. He looked concerned, but he didn't want to be caught lurking outside her door so he leaned in one last time.

"I'll retire for today. Send for me when you are ready to take a walk." He touched the wood one last time before departing.

Isabel sunk to the ground on the other side of the door and her body quivered and shook. She outstretched her hands and looked down at her palms. Where had that force come from? She had planned to just punch him, but before she knew what she was doing she was throwing him out of the room much like he was a irritating cat. He had seemed weightless and that was all kinds of wrong. She blinked at her gloved hand and with mild hesitation, she touched the material, scared to see what lay beneath. With a deep inhale, she pulled.

She gasped and her stomach dropped. What did this mean? It had never looked like this before, so why now?

"Cain…"

 _Sleep mama..._

Exhaustion stung her senses and she knew she couldn't fight it any longer. Worry and anxiety dulled as her eyes drifted shut and her body fell to the ground. Her hand was last to fall and it did so palm up, revealing the seal of her contract, but it was much like it was written with pen instead of blood, as it was fading.

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **Thanks for the reviews/follows! I'm glad you all are enjoying this story.**

 **If you've got feedback, hit me with it. Only way I can improve. Seriously!**

 **See you all next chapter!**


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